Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold
by LeoAngel24
Summary: AU: Angel is the leader of a wolf pack in Los Angeles. Buffy and her friends are fellow wolves who have escaped to LA and are in dire need of some help.
1. Chapter 1

Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: T right now but later chapters will be M

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so I would very much appreciate reviews and advice. Sorry for the short first chapter they will get longer.

* * *

Chapter 1

She ran as fast as her legs would carry her. She could hear her heart racing and her blood pumping through her veins. She couldn't stop; she needed to keep going until she found a safe place. Just then she saw an alleyway on her right and ducked in. She quickly stripped off her clothes and let the change take over. By the time her pursuers had reached the alley she was crouched down on all fours ready to attack.

She launched herself at the biggest one and knocked him on his ass before turning her attention to the other two. They both pulled their guns and fired but she easily managed to dodge both bullets. Before the youngest of the three could readjust his aim her razor sharp teeth had his left leg in a steel grip. She threw him across the alley and his head hit a wall with a loud smack. As she turned the largest one jumped at her and landed on her back. He gripped his hands around her neck and tried to snap it but she managed to buck him off with her superior strength.

Her final opponent had watched in stunned silence until he realised that she was looking right at him. He fired his gun once more as she launched herself at him and he managed to hit her shoulder. She whimpered in pain but quickly regained herself and was able to sink her teeth into his neck until she tasted his blood. She looked around and saw the other two picking themselves up off the ground so she darted out the alley.

She ran for about five blocks until she was sure that they weren't following. She walked around in her wolf form, very much glad for the cover of darkness, until she saw a sign telling her where she was. Luckily she wasn't far from a place where she knew she could find help.

By the time she had reached the place she was looking for her shoulder was very much in pain. It made it harder to walk and she was losing blood but she kept going.

She tried to nudge open the door with her nose but it wouldn't budge and she couldn't reach the handle. So instead she took another course of action and started scratching at it just hoping someone would hear.

The door opened to reveal two startled men. She whimpered as loud as she could at them then blackness started to cloud her vision. The last thing she heard was a familiar voice say "Buffy?"

* * *

Rupert Giles was sitting in the lobby of the Hyperion happily chatting away to his old friend Wesley Wyndum-Pryce when he heard something scratching at the door. He and Wesley exchanged curious looks. Everyone in the pack was here, so who was at the door?

It seemed that everyone else in the room was thinking the same as they watched Giles and Wesley get up and walk to the door. Wesley pulled the handle and slowly opened it. Both men gasped when they saw the injured wolf looking at them with pleading eyes. The wolf whimpered then fell to the ground as Giles said,

"Buffy?"

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: T right now but later chapters will be M

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so please review!

Members of Angels pack: Angel, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, Cordelia, Connor, Oz, Faith, Spike and Amelia (my own creation).

* * *

Chapter 2

After Giles had gotten over his shock he quickly sprang into action. He carefully picked Buffy up and ran to the stairs barking orders.

"I'm taking her to one of the guest rooms. I'll need a first aid kit, a blanket and Fred!"

As he started up the stairs he noticed that no one was moving.

"I mean now people!" He shouted at the shocked yet curious wolves.

Everyone was abuzz with activity. Two people followed Giles up the stairs, one carrying a blanket while the other was carrying a first aid kit. Wesley also followed. He found Fred easily and hurried her along the corridor to Giles.

When Giles reached a vacant room he gently laid her on the bed. She was still in her wolf form but he could quite clearly see that her shoulder was covered in blood. Gunn came in and put the blanket over her just as Cordelia came in with the first aid kit. It was very large but you could tell by its face and body shape that it was a female. Before they had time to question Giles, Fred was pushed into the room by Wesley.

"Giles, what appears to be the matter?" She asked coming to stand by his side. When she looked at the wolf lying in front of her all she could say was, "Oh dear."

Giles was just about to open his mouth when Angel walked into the room looking none too pleased.

"Giles what the hell is going on? You have everyone running about the place like headless chickens!"

Then he smelled the blood. He stood on the other side of Giles and looked down at the wolf. She had quite a bad shoulder injury but apart from that she seemed fine. He looked her up and down. She was possibly one of the most beautiful wolves he had ever seen in his entire life. Her coat was a golden colour and looked very soft. She was slightly larger than the females he had seen and she looked very strong. Her eyes started to lightly flutter open as she tried to regain consciousness and he could see that they were a stunning emerald green.

Giles also noticed her eyes open and close.

"Buffy?" He whispered softly then repeated a bit louder "Buffy? Can you hear me?"

Her eyes focused on Giles as she whimpered.

"It's okay Buffy, we're gonna take care of you. But I'll need you to change back to your human form."

Giles looked at the men in the room signalling that they should leave. Gunn and Wesley looked at Angel while Angel turned his attention to Giles.

"You know that you will have to come too. I want an explanation."

"Yes, of course." He looked back down at Buffy who was struggling to keep her eyes open and gently stroked her head, "I have to go Buffy but I'm leaving you in the very capable hands of Winifred and Cordelia. They'll fix you up."

Buffy simply whimpered again and closed her eyes.

When Giles, Angel, Wesley and Gunn were back downstairs Giles poured himself a glass of brandy. Connor and Oz had been sitting waiting for them after hearing the commotion but being told by Angel to stay downstairs.

Angel crossed his arms over his large chest and looked at Giles who was now sipping his brandy.

"So Giles, I'm waiting."

Giles looked up at the very impatient alpha male and sighed heavily.

"Her name is Buffy Summers. I met her about seven years ago when I was the librarian at a high school in a town called Sunnydale." Giles took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt, a very old habit of his, before continuing, "It didn't take me long to figure out that she was a werewolf. She and a few of her fellow teenaged wolves made their own pack. Shortly after I left Sunnydale three years ago her pack uncovered a secret government organisation called The Initiative who capture and/or kill supernatural creatures. Everything was okay until their pack was discovered. One of the members was killed and Buffy, as pack leader, sent them a very severe warning. The Initiative quietened down until a few months ago. Buffy has been fighting them ever since and I would bet that she ran into some goons from the Initiative tonight."

Angel quietly listened taking in every word. He was surprised at first when Giles said that Buffy was her packs leader but then he remembered how large her wolf form was. As leader of his own pack he understood how she must have felt when one of their members was killed. He had to admit that he wanted to meet her. She sounded amazing.

Then a thought occurred to Angel.

"How many members are in her pack?"

"Including Buffy, only three. There were originally five but the Initiative… well you know."

At that moment Gunn decided to speak up.

"So why are these initiative guys after her pack in the first place?"

"Simply because of what they are. Buffy's pack never hurt anyone, yet the Initiative views them as monsters when really they themselves are the true monsters."

Giles sighed and rubbed his brow.

"The last time I spoke to Buffy was about two weeks ago. She said that Sunnydale was too dangerous for them and that they were planning on leaving. That will be why they are here. Buffy had already forced her mother to leave Sunnydale when the Initiative started back up."

Angel felt for Buffy and her pack. It must have been so horrible being run out of your own town but he had his own pack to protect. The Initiative posed a serious threat and he couldn't risk them finding out about his pack. As leader he had to protect them no matter what.

"Giles I can tell that she means a lot to you but having her here with those Initiative people on her tail is dangerous for the pack."

Before Giles could argue, Connor stepped up to his brother.

"Now, now Angel we shouldn't just abandon a fellow wolf in need." He turned to Giles "So what does she look like? Is she hot?"

Angel gave Connor a disapproving stare and Gunn, Wesley and Giles simply rolled their eyes. As a nineteen year old male wolf Connor could only think of one thing. Oz decided to speak up.

"Connor her life is in danger now is not the time to be assessing her attractiveness."

"What? After what she has been through she may need a little comforting."

Giles shook his head at him then said "If you tried hitting on her she would hit you."

"Hm yeah right! The ladies can't resist my charm. Ow! Angel!" Connor glared at his older brother who had just smacked him hard on the back of the head "What did you do that for!"

"This is a serious matter so get your head out the gutter!"

Connor angrily pouted at him while he rubbed his head. He was going to respond but he knew he shouldn't push his brother. After all he was older, bigger, taller and the pack leader.

They heard the sound of footsteps so everyone looked to the stairs as Fred and Cordelia descended them. Giles stepped towards them so as to question Fred.

"How is she?" He asked worriedly.

Fred gave him a reassuring smile.

"The bullet hit her collar bone but I managed to extract it. She lost quite a lot of blood on the way here but thanks to her wolf healing she will be fine. She is asleep right now however she will need to take painkillers when she wakes otherwise her shoulder is going to hurt like hell."

Giles sighed in relief. Buffy was going to be fine.

"When will she wake up?"

"I would say about an hour. She needs to rest."

Fred patted his shoulder then went to stand by her husband, Wesley, before turning back to Giles.

"I have a question though, Buffy is so petite yet her wolf form is quite large. How is that?"

"It's in her genes. She comes from a long line of alphas on her father's side. So despite the fact that Buffy herself is small her wolf form is quite large and she is much stronger than most females."

Angel stepped forward.

"I assume her father is the leader of a pack that can protect her and her friends?"

"Alas no. Buffy's father is not a very responsible man. He abandoned his duties as a leader as well as his duties as a father. It's been years since she last spoke to him."

Giles could see in Angel's eyes that he was struggling to decide what to do with this situation. Giles understood that Angel needed to keep his packs best interests in mind but Giles couldn't protect Buffy, Willow and Xander alone. So he turned to the much larger man with a begging look on his face.

"Please Angel don't just turn her away. The Initiative is here now and even if they get Buffy and her friends they won't just leave. They will survey the city for any others packs. Your best bet is to bring them down by teaming up with Buffy's pack. Please help."

Angel looked him in the eyes and sighed. Teaming up did sound quite sensible but he just wasn't sure. He would need to sleep on it and meet Buffy for himself.

"Fine Giles but I want to talk to her before I make my decision."

"Thank you Angel. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to try Willow and Xander's cells." Giles noticed the confused looks and explained "Willow and Xander are Buffy's remaining pack members." He walked out the lobby but called over his shoulder "Shout me if Buffy wakes up!"

* * *

Buffy groaned in pain as she started to regain consciousness. Her shoulder hurt something fierce. She slowly opened her eyes and tried to remember what happened. She was laying on something soft, a bed most likely, and had a blanket wrapped around her, covering her naked body. Just then she heard someone enter the room.

"Ah you're awake, how are you feeling."

"Peachy." Buffy replied somewhat sarcastically.

She sat up and moaned as pain shot up her shoulder. Then she turned to the women. She was small, thin, had brown hair and kind eyes. Buffy recognised her as one of the women who tended to her wound.

Fred heard Buffy's moan of pain and handed her the extra strength painkillers and the glass of water she had brought with her. Buffy took them from and smiled weakly.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Fred sat down on the seat by the bed "I'm Fred by the way."

"Buffy." She swallowed the pills "So you're a friend of Giles?"

"Yes. He's downstairs and he was very worried when he found you."

"So how is my shoulder?"

"I got the bullet out. The wound is already healing but it will hurt for a while and you should limit your movements or you'll make it hurt more."

"Okay." Buffy looked down at her covered body, "Do you think I could borrow some clothes?"

"Oh yes." Fred got up and went over to the bundle she had brought in with her. She handed them to Buffy, "Here. These are some old clothes of mine. They might be a bit tight."

"Thanks." Buffy said taking the clothes.

"I'll leave you to get changed. Just call me when you're done and I'll take you downstairs. Giles wants to see you as does Angel our pack leader."

Fred left the room leaving Buffy alone with her thoughts. She carefully got out the bed and started dressing herself. It took her a while due to her sore shoulder. She looked down at the pink tank top and old faded jeans she was now wearing. Fred was right they were a bit tight. She slipped on the shoes Fred had also left then walked out the room. Fred was leaning against the wall.

"Those look nice on you." She smiled assuredly "So are you ready to meet the pack?"

"I guess so." Buffy replied nervously as she followed Fred down the hall.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: T right now but later chapters will be M

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so PLEASE review! I really need feedback!

Members of Angels pack: Angel, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, Cordelia, Connor, Oz, Faith, Spike and Amelia (my own creation).

* * *

Chapter 3

"So…" Buffy started nervously "What is your pack leader like?"

"Angel? He can be quite intimidating when you first meet him but once you get to know him he's actually very kind."

"What kind of name is Angel?"

Fred let out a small laugh at Buffy's slightly confused face.

"It's more of a nickname. His real name is Angelus O'Rourke."

"Angelus O'Rourke?" Buffy repeated stopping in her tracks.

"Yeah."

"You mean LA's most eligible bachelor and the CEO of one of the world's most prestige law firms? That Angelus O'Rourke?"

It was the shock on Buffy's face now that made Fred laugh.

"So you know who he is then?"

"How could I not? He's been on countless magazine covers. Huh, so Angelus is a wolf. I guess that explains why he's so good at what he does. An alpha male never backs down."

"Yeah. He's a natural born leader."

"Well now I'm even more nervous than before. From what I've read Angelus can be fierce."

"Relax Buffy. Giles has already explained your situation to the pack and Angel just wants to meet you before he decides whether or not he should help you. He's not going to break your neck if you say the wrong thing."

"Like I'd let him." Buffy said smugly as Fred laughed.

Buffy and Fred approached the flight of stairs that led down to the lobby. Buffy could quite easily sniff out the scents of six wolves as well as Giles. She pushed away her nerves and took a deep breath. An alpha could not show weakness.

She was hoping that Angel was a reasonable man. She had decided that if he offered help then she would accept. If he didn't then she would continue to try and deal with her "problem" herself. After all that's what pack leaders did.

Angel could smell Buffy and Fred as they approached the lobby. Fred's scent was familiar but Buffy's was something new. It was sweet and was like vanilla mixed with honey. It was intoxicating. He was quite anxious to meet her. She was beautiful in her wolf form so he could only imagine what she looked like normally. Two feminine voices could be heard approaching the stairs. Angel stood up from his seat as did Giles and Wesley. Connor rushed through from the entertainment room, where the other members of the pack were now, desperate to get a look at Buffy. The older men just rolled their eyes.

The two women descended the stairs. Wesley stepped forward to greet his wife and Giles moved to greet Buffy. Connor found himself unconsciously staring at Buffy. In his attempt to show more class than his brother Angel directed his attention towards the tea that Giles had made him while sparing a few glances at Buffy. The clothes she was wearing were quite tight. Fred was skinny but Buffy was curvy. The top clung to her curves and highlighted her tiny waist. The jeans lightly squeezed her toned legs. Her golden blond hair flowed beautifully.

As Buffy walked down the stairs her eyes first landed on Giles' kind face which brought a smile to her own. She then looked over to the man standing next to him and instantly recognised him as Angelus. She was impressed. He looked even more handsome in person. She couldn't stop her eyes from surveying his body. His well sculpted chest was quite evident under his fitting dark crimson shirt and his black pants hugged his thighs very nicely. His dark hair was carelessly spiked up and it looked very sexy. She had to force her eyes away from him.

"Buffy?" Giles voice pulled Buffy out of her thoughts. She turned to him and smiled.

"Good to see you again Giles. I just wish it was under better circumstances."

"Me too, how are you feeling?"

"Besides the bullet shaped wound in my shoulder, I'm just peachy."

Giles smiled at Buffy's attempt at a joke. It had been too long since he had seen her.

"I guess I have Fred here to thank for patching me up."

"It's really no problem Buffy." Fred smiled from the comfort of Wesley's arms.

Buffy was going to make a comment about what a cute couple they were but now was not the time for that. She and Angel needed to talk. Besides seeing them like that made her think about her and Pike which was never a good thing. So she turned to Angel and plastered on her best smile.

"Well since I'm intruding on your territory I guess I should introduce myself." She held out her hand "Hi, I'm Buffy Anne Summers."

"Angelus O'Rourke." He said taking Buffy's hand.

"I know. I've read a lot about you and Wolfram and Hart."

"Well I've heard a lot about you from Giles." Angel smiled and Buffy's heart beat faster.

"I hope only good things." Buffy replied, glancing at Giles.

"Of course."

Angel introduced Buffy to Wesley and about to ask her some questions when Connor butted in.

"Since Angel didn't bother introducing me I'll just do it myself." He took Buffy's hand in both of his larger ones "I'm Connor O'Rourke, the younger and might I say better looking O'Rourke brother. I'm sure you've heard of me."

Giles rubbed his eyes with his hands. This was not going to end well for Connor he thought.

"Yeah I've heard of you." She said with a playful grin on her face "You're usually referred to as the littlest O'Rourke."

"I am?" Connor said trying to not look embarrassed.

"Yup, how old are you anyway?"

"Well I'm uh nineteen." He mumbled then tried to redeem his self "But you know what they say age is but a number."

"Uh huh." She took back her hand and placed it on her hip "Why don't you try again when you're old enough to drink."

Giles, Wesley and Angel smirked while Connor made up an excuse about needing a drink before leaving for the kitchen. Buffy shook her head as he walked away then turned her attention back to Angel.

"So you had questions for me?"

"Yes, Giles has given us the footnotes on The Initiative but I'd like to know more."

"Sure, anything you want to know just ask." Then a thought occurred to her "First though I really need to call my friends to tell them I'm okay. They're probably worried sick."

"It's okay Buffy." Giles said placing a hand gently on her uninjured shoulder "I've already called Willow and Xander and explained the situation to them."

"Thanks Giles."

Fred suggested they go introduce Buffy to the rest of the pack and have her explain her situation while she went and got drinks for everyone. Angel and Giles took Buffy through to the entertainment room but Wesley told them he would join them in a minute as he had something else to do first.

Angel got Buffy acquainted with Gunn, Oz and Cordelia before sitting her down and starting his questions. Buffy felt kind of like she was being interrogated. Giles asked the first question.

"Buffy what happened tonight? How did you get shot?"

"I met a trio of our friendly neighbourhood commandos." Due to the confused looks of the other wolves Buffy clarified "That's the nickname we gave the Initiative soldiers."

"You took on three trained, armed and I assume large men all by yourself?" Gunn asked quite amazed.

"Well, yeah."

"Buffy, how did the Initiative find out about your pack in the first place?" Angel queried.

"It all started back in my second year of college. You see the Initiative H.Q. turned out to be built under the college campus. One of the fraternities was made up of a group of commandos, one of which was my psychology TA while my psych teacher was, I guess you could say, the commander of the Initiative. At the end of my second year Riley, my TA slash top commando, saw one of my pack members change. He knew about my relationship with said person so he questioned me. I played dumb, pretended I didn't know what he was on about and he dropped it. We made sure we were more careful about changing after that especially since we had our suspicions that something like the Initiative existed. It was almost another year before the next incident. Jesse, another pack member, went missing. He had been captured by the Initiative. He managed to escape from them long enough to phone Xander and tell him what happened. Then they shot and killed him."

Buffy stopped to take a sip of the tea that Fred had brought through. It was hard for her to have to remember all this. Giles noticed this so he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She smiled at him and he smiled back then she continued.

"The rest of my pack and I tried to piece together what we had to find out what happened to Jesse but we didn't have enough evidence to draw together a proper conclusion. So we gave up. But Xander couldn't. He refused to let Jesse's death go. He kept digging deeper and the Initiative caught on to him. Before we knew it we were on their most wanted list. I got my mum out of Sunnydale then Willow, Xander, Pike and I went into hiding. However, a month ago, they got Pike. It took us a few days but we found a way into the Initiative H.Q. While we were inside we shut off the power which released all the supernatural creatures that they had captured. All the commandos fought them and… Pike was killed. We barely managed to escape alive. A lot of the commandos were killed too but the ones that escaped are now after us."

Everyone was silent, taking in everything Buffy had just said. Giles was going to break the silence but Faith and Spike beat him to it by noisily bursting into the hotel. By the time they reached the entertainment room everyone could tell that they were drunk.

"Hello everyone!" Faith said cheerily.

"Hey who's the hot blonde chick?" Spike asked pointing towards Buffy.

Faith punched his arm "Hey! Your girlfriend is standing right next to you!"

"I'm sorry baby, you know I love you." Spike said as he threw his arms around Faith.

Angel shook his head at the couple then turned to Buffy "This is Faith and Spike, the other two members of our pack."

Since it looked like Faith and Spike were getting too cosy with each other Fred decided to intervene before things got uncomfortable.

"It's getting late, how about we all go get some sleep and discuss things more in the morning."

Everyone went to their rooms and fell asleep almost instantly. Well everyone except Angel. He was lying in his bed trying to figure out what he was going to do. The pack leader in him told him that he should let her handle her own problems but another part of him told him not to let her go. He tossed and turned for a bit before falling asleep.

TBC

* * *

*Remember! Don't forget to review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: T right now but later chapters will be M

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so PLEASE review! I really need feedback!

Members of Angels pack: Angel, Wesley, Gunn, Fred, Cordelia, Connor, Oz, Faith, Spike and Amelia (my own creation).

* * *

Chapter 4

When Buffy awoke the next morning she found herself in an unfamiliar room. It took a couple seconds but when the pain shot up her shoulder the events of the previous night came rushing back. She carefully sat up so as not to hurt her shoulder more. Then there was a knock at the door and Fred's voice came through.

"Buffy? Are you awake?"

"Yeah."

"Can I come in? I have some pills that will help with the pain in your shoulder."

"Sure, come in."

Fred walked in with her usual smile on her face. "Hey. How are you this morning?"

"Not too bad, shoulder hurts though."

"Here." Fred handed her the painkillers "These will ease the pain. Can I take a look at the wound?"

Buffy nodded then swallowed the pills as Fred undressed her wound.

"Well it's almost completely healed but I'll redress it."

Once Fred was done she told Buffy that when she was ready, to come downstairs to get breakfast. Buffy got dressed then checked her hair in the mirror that was hanging on the wall in the bathroom joined to her room. When she was sure she looked okay she left the room. She was nervous about seeing Angel again. She had butterflies in her stomach and she wasn't quite sure why. There was just something about that man. She hadn't felt anything like that since… No, now was not the time for opening wounds. Her pack was still in danger and as much as she hated to admit it she really needed help.

When she reached the kitchen it was abuzz with activity. Wesley was cooking breakfast with 'help' from Cordelia, Gunn was making coffee while Giles was trying to make tea, Connor was throwing a ball about the room and Oz and Fred were both sitting at the large breakfast table. Fred was playing with a little girl who looked to be about four years old while Oz was quietly munching on a piece of toast while reading the newspaper. However there was no sign of Faith and Spike, who were probably still asleep nursing their hangovers, or Angel.

Giles approached Buffy. "Good morning Buffy. How are you?"

"I'm fine Giles. Fred says I'm almost healed."

"Glad to hear it."

"I know what you need." Gunn said shoving a steaming mug under her nose. "A freshly brewed cup of coffee."

Buffy took the mug and smiled at him. "Oh Gunn, you already know the way to my heart."

Gunn gave her a smile and a wink before leaving the kitchen to get some files organised for work.

Fred motioned for Buffy to come sit at the table. When Buffy sat her eyes went start to the little girl who was now drawing a picture. She was very cute with her brunette hair pulled into loose pigtails and her expressive hazel eyes.

Fred turned to the girl. "Amelia, this is Buffy. She's an old friend of Giles'. Buffy, this is mine and Wesley's daughter Amelia."

Buffy flashed her best smile at Amelia. "It is very nice to meet you Amelia."

"My mummy told me you were hurt last night and she helped you." Amelia said nervously.

"Yeah, I was. But because your mummy is so smart I'm all better now."

"That's good." Amelia looked Buffy over then said "You're really pretty."

"Thank you Amelia. I think you're really pretty too."

Amelia grinned happily at Buffy. Buffy was going to continue the conversation but like a flash Connor was suddenly sitting on the table right next to her.

"I think you're really pretty, Buffy." Connor said with a flirty grin on his face.

"Thanks Connor."

"So how about I give you a tour of the city later? I'll take you to LA's most beautiful spots."

"That's a really nice offer Connor but I'm gonna have to pass."

At that moment Angel decided to stick his head through the door.

"Ah Buffy, you're awake. Could I talk to you in my office for a minute?"

"Sure Angel." Buffy smiled and followed Angel out the kitchen.

When they were in his office Angel sat on the edge of the large wooden desk with his arms crossed over his large chest. Buffy already knew what he was going to say so she decided to save him the trouble.

"Angel you don't have to say anything, I get it. Me being here is a serious threat to your pack and as pack leader you must eliminate any threats, I know that. So I'll leave, I can deal with the Initiative on my own and I'll tell Giles that I wanted to leave and that" Angel stood in front of Buffy and put his hand up.

"Buffy, stop. I'm not asking you to leave; in fact I was going to say that you and your pack can stay here and that we can team up against the Initiative."

Buffy just stood there with her mouth open in shock. "Really?"

"Really."

"Angel, I… I don't know how I can thank you for this."

"Well you know, us wolves got to stick together. Besides you intrigue me."

"I do?"

"Yeah." He gazed at her stunning emerald eyes. She was a mystery to him but hopefully not for long. "But that's a later conversation. Now we need to get your friends here as soon as possible."

"Okay, I'll go pick them up now." Buffy turned to leave the office but Angel was in her way.

"Oh no you don't. You're hurt Buffy, you're not going anywhere. I'll send Giles and Oz to pick them up."

"So I'm just supposed to stay here?"

"That's right and I'll have Cordelia watching you."

"You can't watch me yourself?" Buffy said with a slightly flirty tone in her voice.

Angel gave her his famous gorgeous half smile and she felt her heart skip a beat. "I can't. I have to go to work."

"That's a shame."

Angel grabbed his jacket and said "I'll be back later though. I can't wait to meet these friends of yours."

Buffy flashed him her own smile. "I'm sure they'll be thrilled to meet you too."

* * *

The doors to the Hyperion opened to reveal Giles, Wesley, Xander and Willow. Buffy, who had been waiting for them, walked over. Willow dropped her bags and rushed to her.

"Oh god, Buffy are you alright?" She gently hugged Buffy so as to not hurt her shoulder. "Giles told us about what had happened. I told you that you shouldn't go out by yourself."

Buffy hugged Willow back. "I'm fine Will. Besides I can take care of myself."

Xander approached the girls and hugged Buffy when Willow let her go.

"So Buffster. Is it true that we're being helped by the CEO of Wolfram and Hart?"

"Yeah, it's true. Angel is actually very nice."

"Oh so it's not Mr O'Rourke or even Angelus, it's Angel. I see you two are getting friendly already." Xander said jokingly.

"Shut it Xander, he prefers to be called Angel. Anyway how about I introduce you two to the pack?"

Buffy introduced Xander and Willow to everyone then Giles showed them to their rooms. Buffy got changed into some of her own clothes while Xander and Willow chatted with the pack. Buffy was very glad to have her own clothes back and very happily put on her favourite pair of black heeled boots. When she was dressed Buffy re-joined everyone. It didn't escape her attention that Willow appeared to be in deep conversation with Oz and that Xander was obviously checking Cordelia out. Faith and Spike also appeared both looking still very hung-over.

Connor turned to Buffy. "So Buffy, since you're staying here, my tour around LA is still on offer."

Buffy put on an apologetic smile. "Again Connor, no thanks. I actually already know my way around LA quite well. I did used to live here."

"Oh, okay then. Well maybe I could get you reacquainted with LA and I could take you to the place where we run free in our wolf form."

"That is a matter for later Connor. Right now we have more important things to do."

Everyone turned to the doorway to see Angel standing there. He came into the room and approached Willow and Xander. They both stood up as did Buffy.

"Angel this is Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris."

"It's nice to meet you both." Angel said shaking both of their hands.

"You too." Willow replied "We are really grateful for your offer of help."

"It's really no trouble. Besides there's strength in numbers so it'll be much easier to take down the Initiative working together."

"So you really are going to help us destroy these bastards?" Xander asked.

"Of course." Gunn said. "This pack hasn't seen much action for a while so we're just raring for a fight."

"We can't just continue this fight Gunn." Angel argued.

"Why not?" Xander said stepping forward. "Those jackasses killed my friends!"

Willow put her hand on his shoulder. "Xander calm down."

"So you just want to kill them? Stoop to their level? No, we need to prove that we're better than them."

"And we can do just that." Gunn added. "You're looking at the CEO of Wolfram and Hart. We can take down those Initiative douchbags and have them locked up for the rest of their miserable lives."

"So what we're going to sue them or something?" Xander said sceptically.

"I don't think that's what Gunn had in mind Xander." Buffy defended. "But Angel's right, we need a plan to deal with them without stooping to their level."

"And a plan is what we shall have." Angel said with a smirk on his face.

TBC

* * *

*Remember! Reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! And a thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :)

**Also I will start putting dates on my profile for when my next chapter will be posted. My posting day will be Sunday as it's the day all my chapters have been posted on so far and chapters will be posted every two or three weeks, it will vary depending on certain factors in my life.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: T right now but later chapters will be M

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so PLEASE review! I really need feedback!

I finished this today so I just decided to post it early! Hope you guys are happy, enjoy! :D

* * *

Chapter 5

"So Mr Angel do you actually have a plan?" Xander questioned.

Angel suppressed the need to slap Xander for his disrespectful tone as he said "Not yet no, but give me a few days and I'm sure I can come up with one. Meanwhile you will all be safe here."

"Sure." Xander scoffed. He opened his mouth to say something else but Buffy quickly stopped him.

"Xander, Willow can I speak to you two outside?"

Willow and Xander exchanged looks then followed her out the room. Xander knew he had said something wrong because Buffy looked pissed off. When they were out of earshot of the pack Buffy turned to Xander.

"Xander, Angel is an alpha and the leader of this pack so unless you want to get us thrown out I suggest you start showing him more respect."

"But Buffy…"

"No buts Xander! We need their help. There is no way in hell that we can take on the rest of the Initiative by ourselves. Angel is taking a huge risk protecting us so you better not act like a spoiled child when you talk to him. I'd also like to remind you that you're not the only one still stricken by Jesse and Pike's deaths!"

"Really? Because judging by the looks you were giving Mr Alpha back in there I would say you'd at least forgotten about Pike."

Buffy stood with her mouth open in shock, her face getting redder and redder so Willow knew she needed to intervene before Buffy got violent. "Xander, that's going way too far. We know how much Buffy cared about Pike."

When Buffy regained the power to talk she looked at Xander with a wounded look in her eyes and said "I cannot believe you just said that. I will never forget about Pike or Jesse. Their deaths will be on my hands for the rest of my life!" Her voice started getting louder. "It was my job to protect them and they're dead. But I'm still the leader of what's left of this pack and you will treat me like so or else I'll be the one throwing your ass out on the street, okay!?"

Xander looked down at his feet like a child who had just received a serious scolding. "I'm sorry Buffy." He said quietly.

Buffy took a few deep calming breaths then said "I'm going to call my mum to tell her I'm alright." She starting to walk to her room then stopped to turn to Xander. "If you go back into that room you will act civil towards Angel, do you hear me?"

Xander nodded his head and he and Willow went back into the room to converse with the pack.

* * *

"Yes mum I'll be safe here." Buffy was pacing round her room while trying to convince her mum, over the phone that she was alright. "Yes Giles will look after us."

She sat down on the bed and listened to her mum ramble. It was obvious where Buffy got her rambling skills from. She heard a knock at the door and looked up to find Angel standing there. She smiled at him and motioned for him to come in.

"Yes mum I'll remember to call you every day… I love you too. Give grandma my love. Bye." She ended the call and looked at Angel. "Mothers huh? Always worrying."

"You should have seen my mother when I moved into my own place." He replied giving her his half smile. "Where is your mother?"

"She's staying with my grandmother in San Diego for the time being. I don't want her involved in this mess."

"Good idea." Angel considered something for a moment. "What about your father?"

"He's in the Caribbean with his secretary." Buffy said scornfully. "Has been pretty much since my parents' divorce was finalised. He only comes back here when he's needed for work."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine; he always wanted a boy anyway." She sighed. "What about your parents?"

Angel sat on the bed beside her. "Thanks to early retirement they're travelling through Europe."

"And your father left you to run the company? He obviously really trusts you."

"Yeah, he does." Something had been nagging Angel and he decided now was as good a time as any. "Giles tried to explain why your wolf form was so large, so strong but I think it would be easier for you to explain."

"It's quite simple really. On my father's side of the family there is an alpha gene that always gets passed to the first born. That person would therefore be much stronger and larger than others and would eventually rise to the role of pack leader. That was my father and my grandfather and so on. However for several generations the first born was always male. This was why my father was none too pleased when I came out a girl. But it's also why my wolf form is much larger than normal females and why I'm stronger."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Out the corner of his eye Angel noticed a photo sitting on the top of Buffy's large bag. Buffy noticed that and picked it up. Angel could now quite clearly see Buffy, Willow and Xander in the picture as well as two unfamiliar guys.

Buffy pointed to each of the guys saying "That's Jesse and that's Pike. My mum took this shortly before Jesse was killed."

Angel found himself unable to not look at Buffy in the photo. The sun was shining off her hair illuminating its goldenness and she was grinning widely. However it was more the position she was in that interested him. She was being given a piggyback by the guy who was apparently Pike. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, their faces pressed against each other. He couldn't stop himself from asking. He had to know.

"So were you and Pike… together?"

"Uh yeah, we were." She said looking away from the photo.

He noticed the sadness in her eyes. "It must be so hard for you to have lost your mate."

She quickly looked back up at him. "Oh no, we weren't mates. At least I didn't think we were. What Pike and I had wasn't as serious as that. I mean they say that when you meet your mate you just… know but me and Pike were good friends for years before we started dating. What Pike and I had was good but we weren't mates."

"So you do believe in all that stuff?" Angel asked raising an eyebrow.

"Don't you?"

He simply shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know yet."

"Not been too lucky in love huh?"

"You could say that. My last proper relationship didn't end too well and I've yet to find a woman who seems worth starting a relationship with."

Buffy was silent for a moment then said "Seems Fred and Wesley didn't have too much trouble in the relationship department."

"Yeah, those two were made for each other."

Buffy let out a small snigger.

"What?"

"It's just that it's so strange that I can talk to you so easily besides only knowing you a day yet it can be so hard talking to Xander who I've known for seven years."

"Maybe you can just relate to me better. After all we're both alphas and pack leaders."

"I guess so. He just doesn't understand what it's like."

"Not many do."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before Angel asked "What was Sunnydale like before everything with the Initiative started?"

"It was great. Well not when my mum first moved me there. You see I grew up here in LA but when my parents divorced my mum needed a change of scenery so she moved us to Sunnydale. I was fifteen so you can imagine that I wasn't too happy. But then I met Willow and Xander and everyone else. It was nice being around other wolves my age. I was the youngest wolf in the pack my father was in charge of."

"So you Xander, Willow, Jesse and Pike made your own pack?"

She smiled. "Yeah. Not much of a pack really. Willow, Pike and I were born wolves whereas Xander and Jesse were both turned accidently by Willow when they were quite young. Wills parents didn't really teach her much about being a wolf or why she shouldn't bite people."

"She bit them?"

"Apparently it had something to do with a Barbie doll but this was in like second grade."

Angel nodded and decided that he didn't really want to know anything else. He looked down at his watch and noticed that it was getting late.

"You hungry? It's almost time for dinner."

"I could eat."

* * *

"You morons! You were supposed to follow her not confront her! She could have killed you easily and now they know we're here! We'll never find them now!"

Riley angrily paced back and forth around the warehouse taking deep breaths to try and calm himself before he became violent. Two of the three commandos that had attacked Buffy were standing in front of him with their heads bowed. The other was still being treated for his bite.

"We're sorry Riley," One of them said quietly. "We tried to follow her but she spotted us."

"Well that's just not good enough! What about all your training!? Its dumbasses like you that will get the rest of us killed!"

"Riley," Professor Walsh placed her hand on Riley's shoulder. "Calm down. We will find Miss Summers and her friends. They will get what they deserve soon enough."

"That's not soon enough! That bitch deserves what Forrest got!" He stormed out the room muttering under his breath "I'll put a bullet in her head myself."

TBC

* * *

*Remember! Reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! And a big thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :)

**Also check out my profile for when my next chapter will be posted. My posting day will be a Sunday as it's the day all my chapters have been posted on so far.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so PLEASE review! I really need feedback!

* * *

Chapter 6

A week and a half had passed and even with all of Wolfram and Harts resources and help from LAPD Angel was nowhere near closer to finding the Initiative. They were good at covering their tracks; he had to give them that. But he would still find them.

He sighed, ran his fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time and stared at the paperwork lying on his desk. With everything that was going on it was hard to concentrate on work. And the fact that he couldn't stop thinking about what happened yesterday evening made it harder.

Willow spent most of her day with Giles or Oz, using any info Angel had managed to collect to try and track the Initiative. Xander mostly played video games, sometimes with Connor joining him in between his college classes or Gunn joining after work. Buffy however spent a lot of her time in the gym. She had been very impressed when Angel showed her it. It was equipped with treadmills, cycling machines, punching bags and weights. That's where he had found her yesterday evening.

She had been doing some yoga poses when he walked in on her in a very provocative position. She had her palms flat on the floor with her body in a V position so her ass with in the air. She hadn't heard Angel enter so he had been able to admire her toned ass and legs. When he was done staring he realised how rude he was being and so cleared his throat to alert her to his presence. When she heard him she almost fell over but managed to regain her stance and stand up. It was obvious from her bright red cheeks that she was embarrassed about being caught in that position. After an awkward conversation in which Angel explained why he was looking for her they left the gym to go eat dinner.

He tried his best to push that thought to the side and get on with his work. He'd been getting rather frustrated over the last week or so and he knew what the cause was. He thought about calling up Kate for a little stress relief but decided it would be better to leave their 'relationship' in the past. Besides there was only one blonde in his mind recently and it certainly wasn't her. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and Gunn popped his head in.

"Hey boss, I think we've got something." He said approaching Angel's desk holding out a file. "I just received this from LAPD. Apparently there's been some strange activity in one of the old abandoned warehouses."

"You think it might be them?"

"Possibly." Gunn waited till Angel had flipped through the papers before continuing. "Should I have LAPD check it out?"

"Yeah but tell them if they see anyone then not to approach. We just want to see if they match the description."

"Okay, I will get right on that." Gunn turned to leave then stopped, turned back around and sat on one of the chairs in front of Angel's desk.

Angel looked up at Gunn's questioning look and said "Is there something else I can help you with?"

"It's just what you're doing for Buffy and her friends, is really generous of you."

"Well Gunn I am known for my philanthropy work." He replied nonchalantly.

"And you're sure it's not something else?" Gunn queried. "Maybe you're just a sucker for a damsel in distress?"

"I'm going to assume that you're referring to Buffy and I have two things to say to that. One, I doubt that Buffy has ever been a damsel before in her life and two, what does she have to do with this?"

Gunn laughed. "Come on man! You're telling me that those emerald green eyes, beautiful smile and gorgeous body had nothing to do with your decision to help her?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh yeah right!" Gunn scoffed. "I'm not asking you to admit that you're in love with her or something! I just want you to admit that her looks played a part in you letting her stay with us."

Angel sighed. "Yes Buffy is very attractive but I really don't think that this is the time to be trying to pick her up. After all she lost her boyfriend not that long ago."

"Maybe you're just afraid at how much you have in common and how well you two get on together. After all, your last relationship didn't end too well."

"Gunn, can we just not talk about this? I'm not a proper relationship kind of guy and I don't think that she's a casual relationship kind of girl. Now get back to work."

"Sure thing boss." Gunn smirked as he left Angel's office. He loved annoying Angel.

Angel once again sighed then rubbed his forehead. It had been a long week.

* * *

"Well? Have we got anything useful from him yet?" Riley asked impatiently.

"Nothing that we didn't already know." Professor Walsh sighed. "I don't think that there's much point in keeping him around anymore. We're not getting anything from him."

"Fine, I'll have him shot. It was his fault for letting that bitch bite him anyway."

Riley gave out the order then a few seconds later a gunshot was heard in another area of the factory. He once again began his incessant pacing while Walsh sat down and watched him.

"I think that we're going to have to move our new base somewhere else soon. One of the men said that cops were sniffing around here."

Riley grunted in response then stopped pacing and said "Why would the cops be around here anyway?" Gears starting turning in his head. "Unless Buffy has friends in high places. What do we know about her connection to anyone here in LA?"

Walsh got the file on Buffy and her friends and quickly read through it again.

"Well, she used to live here but moved to Sunnydale when her parents divorced. Her father now lives in the Caribbean and her mother's whereabouts are still unknown. There is no more of her family here. Same goes for Harris and Rosenberg."

Riley punched one of the walls. "Well maybe they left LA!" He shouted.

"Not likely." Walsh replied calmly. "As far as we know they have no one to turn to nearby and they can't have enough money to go too far."

Riley angrily slumped into a chair and sulked. Walsh got up and once again tried to calm him.

"Riley, I know you're still upset over what happened to Forrest but you need to try and remain more level headed if you want to avenge his death."

Riley let out a deep breath. "Fine, but I want men patrolling the streets, investigating every motel in the city and trying to find the location of Joyce Summers. Also we need to see if there is a possibility of other wolves here that could be helping Buffy and her friends."

Walsh patted his shoulder and smiled. "Now that's the solider I trained."

* * *

Later on at the Hyperion everyone was relaxing in the entertainment room after dinner. Xander, Gunn, Connor and Oz were playing video games, Angel and Spike were playing pool, Giles and Wesley were reminiscing about England and Buffy, Willow, Faith and Cordelia were talking while Fred put Amelia to bed.

"So," Cordelia began. "I think that since I'm off work tomorrow we should have a girl's day out and go shopping! After all, you two have been stuck in here for over a week now."

"That sounds like fun Cordy. What do you think Willow?"

"I think fresh air and some exercise sounds good. I've been feeling kinda like caged lion stuck in here, worrying about the Initiative."

"Me too, I really need to get out. Speaking of which, I was wondering what you guys did when you wanted to change? I mean you live in the middle of a large city, not many places here you can run free without being noticed."

Angel spoke up. "Well tomorrow is Saturday which is usually the night we go out. We could take you to the wooded area on the outskirts of the city where we go for runs."

"That would be really good. It's been too long since I've let my wolf out." Buffy said, stretching her arms.

"Well you can count me out of the shopping trip but I'll happily go for a run." Faith said while standing up. "I'm going to get another beer, anyone want anything?"

Everyone declined her offer and went back to what they were previously doing. Fred entered room after having put Amelia to bed and joined the conversation with the other women. After a few hours everyone decided that it was time for bed and so went their separate ways to their rooms. Willow intersected Buffy while she was headed to hers.

"Hey Buffy, can we talk?"

"Sure Will, what's up?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. I know how tough these past months have been for you with the Initiative and Jesse and Pike's deaths."

"I'm doing okay Willow. Honestly I just think how lucky we are that Giles knew this pack and that Angel was kind enough to help us. I don't know what we would have done otherwise."

"Yeah." Willow played with her fingers for a moment wondering whether or not she should ask. She decided that she wanted to know. "Angel is a really great guy, you two seem to get along well together."

"Yeah, it's nice knowing someone who understands what it's like to be a pack leader, to have this responsibility on your shoulders."

"Is it possible that there is something else between you two?"

"Oh come one Willow, not you too! Xander was totally out of line last week about what he said."

"I know, I didn't mean it like Xander did. Look, it's okay if you have feelings towards Angel. He did save us and you have so much in common." Willow placed her hand on Buffy's arm. "I know how much Pike meant to you but I also know that it wasn't meant to be. You weren't mates and before long you would have ended up going back to being friends."

Buffy sighed. "Whatever is between Angel and me, it's probably just mutual attraction, nothing more. And right now is not the time to be thinking about that. I need to be focused on stopping the Initiative once and for all." She removed Willow's hand from her arm. "It's late we should get some sleep."

Buffy went into her room and closed the door before Willow could say anything. Willow decided to leave the subject of Angel alone for now and went to her own room. It had been a stressful week.

TBC

* * *

*Remember! Reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! If you have any questions feel free to ask! And a big thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :)

**Also check out my profile for when my next chapter will be posted.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so PLEASE review! I really appreciate feedback!

* * *

Chapter 7

Buffy, Willow and Cordelia had spent a great day on the town shopping. Buffy and Willow didn't get much as they didn't have the money but Cordelia had just got a quite large pay check from her last modelling job so she decided to spend to her hearts content.

When they got back to the Hyperion they found Connor and Xander arguing over whom was the best comic book villain while Oz was sitting on the couch reading a book. Once they had placed their purchases in their rooms Buffy told Willow that she should go talk to Oz. Willow's cheeks turned red and she made up an excuse not to. Buffy just laughed and practically pushed Willow over to him. She had seen the way the two red heads had been acting around each other and she thought they would be really cute together. Her thoughts were interrupted by Connor who had finished his argument with Xander.

"Hey Buffy." He said with his best smile on his face. "So are you excited for the run tonight?"

"Yeah, I am. I really need to stretch my wolf legs."

"That's great, so what are you doing tomorrow? Cause I was thinking that…" Buffy put her hand up signalling that he should stop talking.

"I already know what you were thinking Connor because it's the same thing that you're always thinking and I'm sorry but the answer is once again no."

"Oh come on Buffy. Seriously, give me one good reason why you won't go out with me?"

"Because Connor you're too immature."

"I am not!"

"Oh really?" Buffy folded her arms over her chest. "So you weren't just arguing with Xander over comic book characters?"

"Okay, I'll give you that one."

"Look Connor, you seem like a really nice guy but you're just not my type." She unfolded her arms and held out her hand. "Friends?"

Connor took her hand. "I guess it's better than nothing. Besides look at me, I could get any other girl I want." He said with a cocky tone in his voice and a smirk on his face that made Buffy laugh.

The doors to the Hyperion opened and Amelia came bounding through shortly followed by Fred. The little four year old went straight to Buffy whom she had become quite attached to over the last week or so.

"Buffy, Buffy! Do you like my new dress?"

Buffy picked up Amelia and looked over her dress. "It's beautiful Amelia. You look really pretty."

Amelia blushed. "Thank you. Are coming on the run tonight?"

"Yes I am. I think it's going to be a lot of fun."

* * *

A few hours later the sun had set and the wolves were on their way to the forest for their run. They were all very excited and raring to go. They drove to the outskirts of LA and reached the large wooded area. It was getting late and the sun had set a couple hours earlier. Once they were parked they all stretched their arms and legs before they got ready to change. Buffy looked around with a smile on her face, she was very ready for this run. She walked over to Angel.

"This is a great place. Are you sure that no one will see us?"

"Well we've never been seen before."

Buffy felt something furry brush her leg and looked down to see a small brown wolf scampering past her. She laughed at Amelia's eagerness as she ran into the trees. Amelia was shortly followed by Wesley and Fred who were both in wolf form.

Angel nudged her arm. "Are you ready to go?"

"Of course." Buffy said with a playful smile on her face. "Do you wanna race? Alpha against alpha? It will be fun."

Angel smirked. "You think you can take me on?"

"You don't know what I can do."

"Well I can't wait to find out."

"Good, I'll see you in a moment." Buffy walked off to change in private.

Angel did the same. Once we was on all fours he walked into the forest to look for Buffy. He could see other members of his pack running around. The wolf he recognised as Cordelia was running with the wolf he presumed to be Xander while two red wolves were walking side by side. He stretched his legs then sniffed the air. He caught a whiff of vanilla and knew Buffy was near. Suddenly he was knocked to ground. He looked up to see Buffy standing there. She gave him a look that said "catch me if you can" then ran off. He happily ran after her.

She was fast, faster than he'd thought she would be. Once he had reached his full speed he had managed to catch up with her so that they were running together. It was invigorating. None of his pack members could match his speed and it was nice to find someone who could.

After a few minutes of non-stop running they decided to stop for a rest. They stopped in a clearing and Buffy lay on the grass so she could catch her breath while Angel went climbing up a pile of rocks. A rabbit came hopping through into the clearing shortly followed by Amelia who was having great fun chasing it. Buffy went to Amelia and stopped her. The rabbit, finally finding what it was looking for, ducked into its hole.

Angel lay on top of the rock and watched Buffy and Amelia. Amelia was bouncing around, so happy to be in her other skin while Buffy simply lay on the grass and watched her. Seeing Amelia so excited made him remember what it felt like being a young wolf. It also made him wonder if he would ever have children of his own, but that was a thought for another time. His gaze sifted to Buffy. The last, and only other, time he had seen her in this form she had been shot. Her crimson red blood had stained her fur and she looked weak. Now however her fur was just a beautiful gold like her hair and she looked very strong especially for a female. Somehow her eyes looked even more green than normal.

Buffy chuckled at Amelia's playfulness. She was jumping about the place looking for another animal to track. Buffy slightly turned her head to spare a glance at Angel. He looked quite intimating in his wolf form. He was very large and had pitch black fur. He looked very in place sitting on top of the rocks watching over things, just like a true leader. It was impossible not to admire him. Buffy was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Amelia lay down next to her, cuddling against her side. Buffy let her be, figuring that Amelia's charge had finally run down.

Angel sniffed the air and smelled new scents that did not belong to any of the wolves. That worried him. He looked down and saw that Buffy had noticed them too. She looked up at him in alarm. He jumped down from the rocks and went over to Buffy and Amelia. He howled into the air signalling to the other wolves to join them. If there was a threat then they needed to be together.

Within a few seconds the rest of the wolves had reached the clearing. By now they all knew what was going on. Wesley and Fred went straight to their daughter and stood around her protectively. Angel and Buffy's ears were pricked up, straining to hear any sound. Buffy stuck her nose up in the air and took a big whiff. The scent was vaguely familiar but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Then it hit her, it was the smell of commandos. She turned to Angel and he could see in her eyes that she knew who or what the scent belonged to. He guessed that there was only one thing it could be: the Initiative.

Soon the sound of footsteps approached them and they all stood ready to pounce expect from Fred who stayed in a protective stance around Amelia. Eventually six commandos made their way in the clearing, not at all expecting to find twelve wolves waiting for them. Buffy and Angel were the first to attack. They launched themselves at two of the commandos knocking them to ground. They then went after the commandos weapons, breaking them with their strong teeth. The others followed in suit while Fred took her chance and ran to the van they had come in, so as to protect Amelia.

After some struggles only one commando remained standing. Angel signalled to the other wolves to leave while he dealt with the last one. Everyone left but Buffy. She was closer to the commando so she attacked him before Angel had the chance. She bit into his leg and squeezed her teeth till she felt his leg snap. Then, using her weight, she knocked him onto his ass. Angel barked at her telling her that they should leave before the other commandos regained their strength. She ran in the same direction as the others.

Angel started following but was stopped when a knife lodged itself into his left shoulder blade. He whimpered loudly in pain drawing Buffy's attention. She looked back to see the commando she had just knocked over sitting up with another knife in his hand. She quickly pushed Angel forward before he got hit again.

When they made it to the van the others were already back into their human form. Angel had lost quite a bit blood and was starting to get weak. She quickly changed back into human form and put on her clothes then went to him and pulled out the knife. By this point the others had saw what had happened and Fred was out the van ready to help. Angel changed back into human form and Buffy quickly covered him. Fred used Wesley's jumper to press against the wound. Buffy helped him into the van and held the material tightly against him to try and stop the bleeding.

She leaned in beside his ear and whispered softly "It's okay Angel, you're going to be okay."

TBC

* * *

*Remember! Reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! If you have any questions feel free to ask! And a big thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :)

**Also check out my profile for when my next chapter will be posted.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so PLEASE review! I really appreciate feedback!

* * *

Chapter 8

It took them about ten minutes to make it back to the Hyperion. When they reached it Buffy helped Angel into the building and sat him down on one of the seats in the lobby. Fred got out the first aid kit and went over to him. Buffy could see in Angel's eyes that he did not want his pack to see him vulnerable like this and she could relate. She looked round to see that Angel was not the only one hurt. She had been so worried about him that she hadn't noticed that Xander had a nasty slash on his arm and that Oz had twisted his ankle quite badly.

She turned to Fred and quietly said "Look, you go take care of Xander and Oz. I'll take Angel up to his room and bandage him up."

Fred gave her a look that showed that she was confused.

Buffy turned Fred away from Angel. "Us alphas don't like to be seen as weak in front of other wolves especially our pack. I think Angel would be more comfortable being treated in private."

Fred let out a sigh. She should have seen that coming. Angel had never been hurt this badly before. She handed Buffy a gauze pad to put over the wound and some medical tape then went over to Xander.

Buffy helped Angel off the seat and then upstairs to his room despite his refusal of her help. When they reached his room Buffy told him to sit on his bed and take off his shirt while she went through to his bathroom and filled a bowl with water. She came back through and placed the water filled bowl on his nightstand. When she turned to face him she stopped and admired his broad shoulders before noticed that he had quite a large tattoo on his right shoulder blade. It was some sort of animal with an eagle head, forelegs and wings and a lion hind quarters, hind legs and tail. It was sitting atop an A. Still admiring the tattoo she sat down beside him and gently starting cleaning his wound.

"Thanks for getting me away from them."

"No problem. I know what it's like, not wanting them to see you weak."

"Yeah." Angel felt quite comfortable with Buffy, despite his naked torso, completely unaware of the effect it was having on her.

To keep her mind out of the gutter Buffy decided she needed to pick up the conversation.

"Nice tattoo." She commented casually.

"Thanks, it was a bit of an impulse decision."

"What kind of animal is that? It looks familiar."

"It's a gryphon or, what it is more commonly known as, a griffin."

"Oh. So, impulse huh?" Buffy raised an eyebrow.

Angel laughed. "Okay so I was a bit drunk and thought it would be cool. Gunn and Spike both backed me up."

Now it was Buffy's turn to laugh. "And you listen to everything that Gunn and Spike say?"

"When I'm drunk, yes."

Buffy grinned and shook her head but her happy mood was spoiled when Angel hissed in pain.

"A nice night ruined." She said sadly.

"Yeah. I guess we were just unlucky, I really thought no one would find us."

Buffy put down the cloth she had been using and picked up the dressing for Angel's wound.

"The Initiative was tracking me, Willow and Xander. You and Oz wouldn't be hurt if it wasn't for us." She thought about that for a second then decided to rephrase it. "If it wasn't for me."

Angel's wound was covered so he turned to Buffy.

"Buffy this isn't your fault."

"Yes it is Angel. If I hadn't come here and put your pack in danger then you wouldn't have had a knife in your back. It's my job to protect my pack not yours."

"Buffy I offered you my help and you would've been a fool to reject it."

"Well maybe I should of. This is my fight not yours."

"Well its mine now. Buffy the initiative is not just a threat to your pack it's a threat to all of us. It's better we fight together."

Buffy looked down at her hands not wanting to meet his eyes. She had a question that she needed to ask him, she was just unsure of what the answer would be.

"Angel, what is the real reason behind you helping me?"

Angel looked away. He knew the real reason; he just didn't want to tell her.

"You needed help. I could see how desperate you were and I guess I'm a sucker for a damsel in distress."

"Really? Is that it?"

"Well let's just say that you piqued my interest. You're different."

Buffy looked up and met his deep brown eyes.

"Good different or bad different?"

He flashed her the smile that made her heart flutter. "Defiantly good."

She smiled and he loved it. She looked even more beautiful with a smile on her face. A strand of her hair had fallen in front of her face and he found himself unconsciously tucking it back behind her ear. Their faces were only inches apart. He moved his hand around to the back of her head and gently pulled her towards him to close the gap between them.

When their lips touched there was sparks. The kiss started off gentle at first then Buffy moved her hands up Angel's arms enjoying the feel of his muscles. Her hands joined around his neck and she pulled him closer to her. He moved both his hands down so they were resting on her small waist. As their kiss got more heated Buffy opened her mouth to give Angel access and their tongues started duelling with each other. Her right hand moved up the back of his neck and into his hair while his circled her waist while pressing her chest against his. She was running her fingers through his short locks when there was a knock on the door followed by Wesley's voice.

"How is everything going in there?"

When they heard his voice they quickly broke apart. Angel turned to the door.

"Everything's fine Wes." He turned back to Buffy and very much enjoyed seeing her lips all plumped up from their kisses.

"Is it okay if I come in?"

This time Buffy turned to the door. "Sure."

She hastily got up off the bed and started picking up the things she had used to cover Angel's wound while Angel put his shirt back on. Wesley came in the room and walked over to Angel to help him.

"So you all bandaged up?"

"Yeah, thanks to nurse Buffy." Angel replied grinning.

Buffy forced a casual smile. "It was really no problem. I'm going to get the rest of this stuff back to Fred."

Buffy make her way out the room, avoiding eye contact with both the men. Wesley watched her leave, curious about her behaviour before shrugging it off and turning back to Angel.

"You're sure that you're okay?"

"Yeah Wes I'm fine. By tomorrow I'll be all healed up."

Wesley patted Angel on the shoulder. Angel smiled at him, effectively covering up his mixed emotions.

* * *

The next day things were pretty quiet. Xander was still going on about his scar while Willow was fussing over Oz's ankle. Buffy was upset because Angel had left for work early so she hadn't had the chance to talk to him about what had happened between them last night. However her mood was lifted by Amelia. Fred and Wesley both needed to be at work and Amelia didn't want to go to day care so Buffy agreed to look after her. They were lying on the lobby floor drawing when Willow and Cordelia approached them.

"Hey Will, hey Cordy, are you coming over here to join us?" Buffy asked as she looked up at them.

Willow and Cordelia exchanged glances.

"Actually we want to talk to you in private Buffy." Willow said nervously.

Buffy gave them both a confused look. "Okay. Amelia honey I will be right back."

"Okay." Amelia replied without even looking up from her picture.

Buffy followed them both through to the empty kitchen then stood in front of them with her arms crossed over her chest and one eyebrow raised.

"So, what do you two want to talk about?"

"Well… you see… it's just that… we're curious…" Willow stammered.

Cordelia sighed and interrupted her. "We want to know what happened between you and Angel last night."

Buffy looked at them both with her mouth open. "Who said that something happened between me and Angel?"

Willow opened her mouth to talk but Cordelia had decided that the conversation would go a lot faster if she did the talking so she quickly butted in.

"No one said anything but it was pretty obvious. I mean when you came downstairs you were bright red and your lips were all puffy. Then when Angel came down you two wouldn't make eye contact and you excused yourself to your room as quick as you could. So spill, what happened?"

Buffy knew she had been caught. There was no point in lying.

"After I had covered Angel's wound we started talking and our faces were really close then a piece of my hair was in my face so he moved it out the way then our faces kept getting closer then we kissed." She let out a breath, glad to have it out in the open.

Willow and Cordelia stared at Buffy with their mouths slightly open. Cordelia was the first to talk as usual.

"Wow, that's awesome! So how was it? Is Angel as good a kisser as I think he is? I want all the details."

Willow gently hit Cordelia on the arm "Cordy this is none of our business. I think we should leave Buffy alone." She turned to Buffy "Unless you want to give us all the juicy details?"

Buffy smiled. She could practically feel her lips tingle when she thought about kissing Angel. She sat down by the kitchen table as did Willow and Cordelia.

"Okay first you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone okay?" After both women nodded their heads Buffy began. "It was amazing. I mean I had good kisses before but this was something different. The second our lips touched there were sparks. I know Angel felt it too, his arms were wrapped round my waist and he was practically pulling me onto his lap. It felt great."

"That is so great Buffy!" Willow said happily. "So will there be more kisses in the future?"

"I really don't know Will. I certainly wouldn't mind if there were but I just don't know if I'm ready for something new. Besides we're practically in the middle of a war so now isn't the time for relationships."

"Come on Buffy," Cordelia said rolling her eyes. "You and Angel are pretty much perfect for each other. You're both so alike and you seem to understand each other so well. Besides he is a total smoking hottie."

"Look, I really don't want to make assumptions without talking to Angel first. The second he gets home from work I'm going to confront him about last night."

"That's a good idea." Willow said nodding her head.

"And even if you two decide to not start a relationship you could still be bed buddies." Cordelia added with a cheeky grin on her face.

* * *

Angel was sitting in his office pretending to work when really he was thinking kissing Buffy. He was, however, stirred from his thoughts about Buffy's sweet lips by a loud knock on his door.

"Come in."

Gunn and Wesley came through the door each sporting a grin. They stopped in front of Angel's desk and smiled at him.

Angel raised an eye brow. "Can I help you two?"

Gunn spoke. "You could help us by telling us what happened between you and Buffy last night."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Come on Angel. When I entered your room last night you and Buffy looked like little kids who had just been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. And she refused to make eye contact with you."

Angel sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Okay, I'm only telling you two this because we've been friends for so long and I need some advice." He took a deep breath. "I kissed Buffy last night."

Gunn broke out into a full grin. "Ha! I knew it was only a matter of time! So what was it like?"

Angel smiled. "It was amazing, she's amazing. But I don't know what to do now. I mean I'm positive that I have proper feelings for her but I don't want to scare her away."

Wesley smiled at his friend. He was very good at casual flings but proper relationships were uncharted territory, especially since Darla. Being the happily in love man he was, Wesley decided to help Angel.

"Just talk to her. Once you're both on the same page you can decide where to go from here."

"Thanks Wesley. You two won't tell anyone about this right?"

"Of course man." Gunn nodded. "You can trust us."

TBC

* * *

*I hope you guys are happy with their first kiss! Stay tuned for more ;)

**Remember! Reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! If you have any questions feel free to ask! And a big thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :) Also check out my profile for when my next chapter will be posted.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so PLEASE review! I really appreciate feedback!

I'm really, really sorry that this chapter is late! I just had a really busy couple of weeks and I came down with a serious case of writers block. I hope the Bangel content in this chapter will make things even. :)

* * *

Chapter 9

Angel looked at the watch on his wrist and decided it was time to go home. As he walked out his office he very much appreciated the silence that greeted him. Almost everyone had already left but due to being the CEO he was used to being one of the last to leave almost every night. He didn't mind it though; he enjoyed the quietness after a whole day of the hectic atmosphere Wolfram and Hart normally had.

Angel wanted to get home quickly. He put it off this morning but he knew that he needed to talk to Buffy about what had happened last night. As he made his way to the garage where his car was parked he let his mind drift back to the way Buffy felt in his arms, the way her lips pressed against his. He knew he shouldn't have kissed her, not with everything that was going on but he couldn't help his attraction towards her. He was an alpha and had needs and he knew Buffy felt the same way.

He hopped into his Plymouth and started it up. Part of him was mad at Wesley for interrupting them. If he hadn't then he would have had Buffy in his bed which was something he had wanted pretty much since he had met her. He knew she wouldn't have objected. The smell of her arousal got stronger and stronger the more he probed her mouth. However he could control his urges for now. He just hoped that things between him and Buffy wouldn't become weird; he was really enjoying having her around. She was so easy to talk to and she understood him so well.

He pulled himself from his thoughts and instead focused on the road in front of him. He pressed his foot down onto the acceleration, his thoughts of Buffy making him even more eager to get home.

* * *

Back at the Hyperion Buffy was in the gym working out her frustration on a punching bag. She had had a good day looking after Amelia but she needed a workout. It was the only way to clear her thoughts. She turned to the clock on the wall and saw that it was getting late. She knew Angel would be home soon. She was aching to see him again. A part of her really wished that Wesley hadn't interrupted them last night. Despite everything that was happening and the pain of losing Pike she really wanted Angel. He made everything just seem so much better.

She threw one last hard roundhouse kick at the punching bag and it snapped off its chain and flew across the room. Panting she walked over to where she had placed her water bottle and towel. She used the towel to wipe the sweat off her forehead then took a big drink of her water. She turned to leave and take a shower before Angel got home and was stopped in her tracks by the man in her thoughts standing by the door.

"Hey, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Oh no, I was just finishing up."

"I can see that." Angel's eyes darted to the punching bag lying on the other side of the room then back to her face. "Can we talk?"

"I think we should."

"Okay, well I'm sorry about what happened. I just couldn't help myself. I know that you're going through a hard time right now and I want to help. It was just a moment of weakness. You know what it's like being an alpha. I think it would be best to just forget it and move on."

Buffy swallowed her disappointment and put on a straight face. "Yeah, forget it, great idea."

"So we're okay?"

"Yeah we're fine." Buffy smiled at him and stepped forward. "Well I'm going to go take a shower."

"Okay." Buffy's arm brushed his on her way past him and he couldn't help himself.

"Buffy?"

She turned round. "Yes?"

Angel grabbed her upper arms and pulled her towards him. The second their lips touched the sparks flew again. Once again Buffy didn't resist and pressed her body right against his and kissed him back hard. They could both feel the heat rising between them as their hands felt up each other's body. They only broke when the need for air became an issue.

Buffy stepped back, panting slightly. "So… forgetting?"

Angel smiled. "Yeah, I think that we should forget about forgetting."

"I agree." Buffy put her arms around Angel's neck and pulled him down to her for another kiss.

After another heated make out session they broke apart.

"So," Angel began. "Where does this leave us?"

"Well we're mature, grown adults who are attracted to each other and who are also very amorous alpha wolves so occasionally need a little stress relief and I think we should just leave it at that."

"Okay I have no problem with that."

"Good, well I do actually need to take a shower so I'm going to go do that."

"Would you like some company?" Angel said with a cheeky grin.

Buffy smiled. "Slow down big boy. You need to pass a few more bases before you get a homerun."

"Can't we just skip a few?" He asked suggestively.

"Sorry, maybe later if you're a good boy." Buffy gave him a quick kiss on the lips then left.

Angel shortly followed her out with a large grin on his face.

* * *

Buffy had just gotten out of the shower and was in the process of drying her hair when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in."

Willow quickly walked in and closed the door behind her.

"So did you talk to Angel?"

"Yes." Buffy replied nonchalantly.

Willow sat down on Buffy's bed. "And? What happened?"

"We talked, we kissed." She said with a smile.

"That's great! Was it as good as the first time?"

"Better. Angel is the god of kissing. I can't wait to see what else he can do with that mouth."

"Buffy!"

"What? Am I not allowed to imagine things? We're not kids anymore Will, we've both had sex before. Don't be such a prude."

"I'm not a prude." Willow said pouting. "Anyway what's going on between you two?"

"We're going to keep it casual. Like I said before don't tell anyone else. I don't want them to make a big deal out of it."

"Okay doke my lips are sealed."

"Great. Well I'm going to get changed then go see Angel."

Willow took that as her cue to leave. "I'll talk to you later then."

* * *

Once Buffy was changed she went through to Angel's room and found him lying on his bed reading a book. It was a nice sight and she found herself standing by the door just admiring him. She let herself get lost in her thoughts as her eyes roamed over his perfectly formed body.

"Are you gonna stand there all night or what?"

"I take it that's an invitation for me to come in." She walked towards his bed and sat down. "Whatcha reading?"

He turned the cover towards her so she could read the title.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw it was a book of poetry. "You read poetry? Well who knew the ruthless Angelus O'Rourke had a soft side." She said, poking him gently in his side with a slightly mocking grin on her face.

"Hey! Don't get any ideas. I'm not some cuddly pansy."

"I never said you were." She moved up the bed so she was lying against the pillow beside him then rubbed his muscular arm. "I never asked you how your wound was."

He closed the book and put it on his bedside table. "It's better, almost healed in fact. You can't keep me down for long." He smiled at her. "So is there a reason for you being in my room?"

She gave him a suggestive look. "Well, I assume that you've had girls in your room before." She leaned towards him. "Just think about what happened then."

Angel grinned widely showing a set of white teeth then kissed her. She happily returned the kiss and soon they had started another heated make out session.

* * *

"How many men did we lose?" Riley asked none too pleasantly.

"Luckily only two. However the rest are still in bad shape. It'll take time for their injuries to heal so they can't be let back out into the field." The Initiative doctor replied, just managing to keep the quivering out of his voice.

"You are dismissed."

The doctor nodded his head and quickly scurried out Riley's makeshift office just as Professor Walsh entered. She walked up to the desk Riley was standing behind and sat on the chair in front of it.

"So from what I've gathered from the injured men, is that Miss Summers and her friends were with about nine other wolves. You were right, they have someone helping them. And from the sounds of it, it's a pack."

Riley sat on his chair. "Well then, it looks like we found ourselves another pack to kill. Of course this means that it will be harder to get to them all but no matter. It's our job to rid the world of those awful creatures."

"Yes well unfortunately we have no lead on who those other wolves might be. We have no information on a pack here in LA and we can't link Miss Summers or either of her friends to anyone here."

"Well we'll just have to dig deeper then won't we."

"I'll get the team working even harder. As for you, you should get some rest. I'm concerned about your wellbeing Riley."

"I'll rest when I've avenged Forrest's death. Actually I'll be able to rest easy once all these pathetic excuses for life forms are dead. Anyway there's no need to worry about me, ma'am."

"Whatever you say Riley." Walsh got up and left Riley sitting alone in his office.

He sighed then stretched his arms. Finding and killing Buffy and her pitiful friends had been much harder than he originally thought it would be. Also this pack that seemed to be helping them complicated matters slightly. He leaned back in his chair and smiled at the thought of bringing down another pack of those things along with Buffy's.

"Ah Buffy. If you think you're going to escape me then you're wrong, dead wrong." He said to himself with a crazed tone in his voice and a grin on his face.

* * *

*Remember! Reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! If you have any questions feel free to ask! And a big thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :) Also check out my profile for when my next chapter will be posted.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first fan fiction so please review! I really appreciate feedback!

Remember! Reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! If you have any questions feel free to ask! And a big thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :) Also check out my profile for when my next chapter will be posted.

Yes another late chapter… sigh. Because I am finding myself pushing back posting days due to not having time to finish chapters, I have decided that in order to relieve myself of some stress and to make my chapters a bit longer they will now be posted every second Sunday.

* * *

Chapter 10

Angel was once again sitting at his desk with a big pile of work spread out in front him. It had been yet another uneventful week. Even with his vast amounts of resources they still couldn't find the Initiative and he was starting to worry. They knew that Buffy, Willow and Xander were with another pack and he was just hoping that they had nothing to link back to him and his pack. He needed to find them before they found him.

He leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms and legs. It was times like these that he wished there was a gym in the building. He wanted to go out on another run but after what happened last time he wasn't sure that it was a good idea. Although his wound was completely healed he wasn't desperate to go out and get hurt again. However despite everything that was going on life wasn't so bad and that was thanks to Buffy.

He had found that Buffy could be quite a mischievous little minx and he liked it. They hadn't told the pack about them fooling around. They had decided that they didn't need to know and instead needed to keep their minds on the current threat. Besides it was kind of fun keeping it secret and if things kept getting more heated then they wouldn't need to tell everyone, they would be able to smell it.

Angel grinned and let his mind go back to last night. He had come home late after a long day at work and found Buffy casually sitting on one of the couches in his room waiting for him. Things got hot and heavy pretty quickly and if he hadn't been so tired he would have taken her to bed.

There was a knock on his door and he made himself look busy.

"Come in."

The last person he expected to see at his work walked in.

"Hey sweetie."

"Buffy, what are you doing here?"

"Well I was bored being stuck in the Hyperion and I thought you might be bored being stuck in here working so I decided to save us both from boredom and come say hi." She finished her explanation with a sweet smile and walked up to his desk.

"Well it is nice to see you but are you sure that coming here was a good idea? I mean what if someone from the Initiative saw you?"

"I don't care Angel. I feel like a caged lion at the Hyperion or a caged wolf if you want to be more literal."

Angel chuckled at her attempt at a joke then walked over to her and placed his hands on her hips.

"Well I'm glad you're here to brighten up my day."

"You can just call me your little ray of sunshine." She paused then pulled a face. "Actually that sounds lame, don't call me that."

Angel laughed again then gave her a quick sweet kiss on her lips. She smiled at him then stepped out of his hold and looked around the room.

"I have to say, I like the office." She walked over to the windows. "Especially the view."

He looked her body up and down, paying special attention to her ass. "I have to say that I like the view from here better."

She turned round and raised an eyebrow at him. "Can you go five seconds without staring at my ass?"

"Why would I want to?"

She went up to him and put her arms round his neck. "You really like my ass?"

"It's a very nice ass." He replied and put his hands on her ass to emphasis his point.

He leant down to kiss her when there was another knock on his door. He sighed and let her go then went to open the door. Standing on the other side was a small blonde woman in a bright pink dress.

"Harmony, what do you want?"

"Well hello to you too Boss. I just came to remind you that you have a meeting in half an hour and to tell you that LAPD is on line one." She looked behind Angel and spotted Buffy whom she had seen enter the office earlier. Normally she wouldn't go to his office to give him news but being the nosey person she was she couldn't resist finding out more about this blonde. "So who's your friend?"

Angel rolled his eyes at his prying secretary but he knew she wouldn't give up easily. "Harmony this is Buffy, Buffy this is my secretary Harmony, who is just leaving."

Harmony took the hint. "Nice to meet you Buffy. I'll see you later Boss."

"You too."

Angel closed the door and rubbed his eyes. He knew how big Harmony's mouth was. By the end of the day everyone in the building was going to know about the mystery blonde in his office.

"Wow that was a bright dress. She looked like a 'Let's go to work' Barbie doll."

"Yeah, I think Harmony's whole wardrobe is based off of Barbie." He went to the phone "This will just take a second."

"Take your time." Buffy went back to poking around Angel's office.

He picked the phone up and pressed the button. "Angel here… Really? Where was this?" He picked up a pen and paper and wrote something down. "How long ago? ... Okay, keep an eye on it. Thank you Kate." He put down the phone and looked up at Buffy.

"What is it?"

"I had a friend down at LAPD dig up a picture of Riley and Walsh and put them on a watch list. I said they should look around abandoned buildings and apparently they just got a hit about ten minutes ago. Two officers on patrol spotted a man closely resembling Riley near an abandoned warehouse on the other side of town. They're going to keep an eye on it."

"Can't they do something, like arrest them for trespassing?"

"It's not trespassing if the building is abandoned Buffy and right now we don't have any evidence for the police to arrest them. All they know about them is that they are dangerous and need to be watched."

"They need to be locked up for life! They killed two people who were important to me Angel."

He placed his hands on her arms and starting gently rubbing them to calm her down. "I know Buffy, I know. But we have no evidence of that. I'm sorry but I'm trying my best. I have people looking into their backgrounds, their whole history, trying to find something incriminating but you'll just have to wait."

She sighed. "I know Angel but Pike and Jesse deserve to be avenged."

He pulled her into a hug. "They will be honey, I promise."

* * *

"Professor we have a situation here so what are we going to do about it!?" Riley snapped at Walsh while watching two police officers circling the building on his surveillance camera.

"I don't know Riley; I thought you were in charge."

"Do I really have to do all the work myself around here!?" Walsh crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow at him and he sighed. "Fine. Adams! Smith! Over here now!" Two young commandos quickly ran to his side. "I want you both to _quietly _follow the officers and listen to their conversation. Anything they say that might be of use to us I want reported back here immediately."

"Yes sir!" Both men said in unison then left to carry out their task.

"Riley, why do you want to know what the officers are talking about? What possible use is that to us?" Walsh asked.

"Ah, you see professor I want to know why two officers are patrolling around a building that is quite clearly abandoned. They must know that someone is inside so why don't they just come in here and arrest us or kick us out?"

"You think that someone has sent them here to spy on us?"

"Exactly. And that someone just might be the person who is helping Buffy and her friends. So we'll be one step closer to finding them and dealing with once and for all."

Walsh smiled. "I knew I saw great potential in you Riley and was most certainly not wrong."

Smith and Adams had been listening to the officers' talk for five minutes when they found out some interesting news. The officers had stopped for a rest and hadn't noticed they were being watched.

"So why exactly does Detective Lockley want us looking for those people? And why do we just have to stand here and guard this building just because we thought we might have seen them?"

"Apparently the famous Angelus asked her to very nicely and you know she wouldn't deny him anything."

"O'Rourke? Man she needs to get her head out the clouds and realise that anything that might have happened between them means nothing to him."

"Well you know Lockley, always a dreamer."

Both men laughed and continued chatting still unaware that they had been watched. One of the commandos ran to Riley to tell him the news.

"Sir I have information."

"Speak."

"Orders to watch this building and look for you came from Angelus O'Rourke."

"That name sounds familiar."

"It should." After hearing the name Walsh approached the men. "Angelus O'Rourke is the CEO of Wolfram and Hart, one of the world's biggest law firms. He must be the one helping Miss Summers."

"Well then, it looks like I'm going to be meeting with Wolfram and Hart's CEO very soon."

* * *

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: M

Author's Note: Remember reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! If you have any questions feel free to ask! And a big thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :) Also check out my profile for when my next chapter will be posted.

Another late one, I know. But I have a good excuse! I've been sick for the last two weeks. :( But to make things better I made this chapter a long one, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 11

Riley strutted into the large, quiet Wolfram and Hart building with a devious smirk on his face. He had waited until it was late so there would be less people in the office. He moved his hand so it was resting on the handle of the long, sharp blade he had hidden in his jacket pocket. He had tried to dress smart for the occasion so as to not arouse suspicion although the guards seemed to not be paying much attention. Not too surprising, it was the time of evening when things are quiet and nothing much is happening.

Riley had had his people digging up as much information as possible on Angel. He still wasn't sure how he tied into Buffy and her friends but that didn't really matter to him, he would still take Angel and his pack down and enjoy doing it. It just seemed like a buy one get one free deal to him. However he wasn't stupid, he knew it would make things harder and more dangerous especially since Angel didn't seem like an easy guy to defeat. But that's why he had an extra blade strapped to his ankle and back up waiting for his signal if he needed them.

He pushed the button on the elevator that would take him to the floor with Angel's office on it. When it stopped on the correct floor Riley stepped out and looked about. Right enough there was practically nobody there. To his right, however, he could see light through glass walls of an office. It was a very large office with big wooden double doors so he assumed it was Angel's. He made his way towards it then knocked on the door.

* * *

Angel was sitting at his desk finishing up some last minute paperwork before he left for home. He had just filed away the last bit when there was a knock on his door. He looked to the clock on his desk then to the door. It was just after 9 o'clock and he didn't expect anyone to still be in the office let alone coming and knocking on his door. He stood up and made his way round his desk.

"Come in."

A man in his early twenties with light hair wearing a slightly worn suit walked in.

"Can I help you?" Angel asked, studying the man. There was something familiar about his face but he wasn't sure where he had seen him before.

"Yes Mr O'Rourke, I believe you can. See I have these friends I'm looking for and I believe you know where to find them."

"Well who are these 'friends'." He asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Ones called Summers, Buffy Summers."

The second he heard her name he knew who this man was. He tried to keep calm but he knew that Riley had seen his reaction to her name.

"I'm sorry; I don't know who that is. Now if you'll excuse me I want to get home sometime tonight."

Riley knew Angel was trying to get him to leave but he wasn't going anywhere.

"I know that you're lying to me and I know that you know who I am. I know what you are but don't worry; I'm willing to strike a deal. If you give me Summers, Rosenberg and Harris then I'll leave your pack in peace. Deal?"

"If you knew anything about me then you would know that I'm not so stupid to believe anything you have to say to me. I'm not handing anyone over to you."

Riley laughed sinisterly. "Let me guess, you came along little Buffy and her pals one night when you were out chasing your tail and you struck up a deal with her. So I'm assuming that she's letting you screw her. I don't blame you; any man would be struck dumb by that ass and those curves."

Angel could feel the red hot rage rising inside of him. Riley was talking about Buffy like she was some sort of slut on the run from the law. It was taking all his strength from him to not just rip Riley's throat out right there. But the last thing he wanted in his office was blood.

"Get the hell out of my office." Angel ordered as calmly as he could.

"I thought that a man in your line of business would be more into negotiations. I'm right to think that you're the leader of your pack, right? So shouldn't your number one concern be your packs safety? Why do you care about what happens to Buffy, Willow and Xander?"

"Like I said before I'm not dumb. I know that the second you finish off Buffy's pack you'll be after mine and anymore you can find."

Now Riley was the one getting mad. "I don't care about your dumb pack! I just want my revenge!"

"You want revenge? You're the one who killed two members of her pack, her friends! Why do you think you're the one who deserves vengeance?!"

"Because of her little daring rescue of her pathetic boyfriend my best friend was killed!"

"Did he actually die at her hands?!"

"No, but he might as well of! He was killed by one of the demons she let loose!"

"So she didn't actually kill him."

"His death is still on her head."

"Well then the deaths of her two friends should be on your head!"

"Who cares about some pathetic creatures? You're all just animals that need to be put down and I'm the person to do it. I see now though that my original assumption about you and Buffy was wrong, you actually have feelings for her and trust me, I'm going to use that to my advantage. When I get my hands on her I'll kill her slowly and make you watch!"

Angel growled and launched himself at Riley just as his office door opened.

* * *

Gunn was just about to leave when he heard raised voices coming from Angel's office. Seeing as he knew that he and Angel were the only ones on the floor he decided that he should investigate. He opened the door just in time to see Angel attack a man.

At first he was going to stop Angel until he saw the man pull out a long, sharp knife and attempt to stab Angel with it. The knife just narrowly avoided stabbing Angel in the gut. Angel knocked the man to the ground and the knife fell from his hands. Gunn rushed forward, ready to aid his pack leader. Now he had a clear view of the man Angel was fighting with and saw it was Riley Finn, the man who was responsible for the death of Buffy's friends.

Angel was mad. He was ready to rip out Riley's throat with his bare hands when Gunn grabbed him by the arms and attempted to pull him off of Riley.

"Gunn let go of me!" Angel broke free from Gunn's grasp quite easily with his superior strength then grabbed Riley by the throat.

"Angel! Think about this! If you kill him then you'll be no better than him! Besides how are you supposed to explain a dead body in your office!?"

Angel relaxed a bit but didn't let go of Riley. He pulled the smaller man closer to him and looked him straight in the eyes with a menacing stare.

"I'm going to give you some advice Finn. If you want to stay alive then you'll stay the hell away from my pack and Buffy's. If I even catch you anywhere near what I consider to be my territory again then do not expect to get off so easy."

Angel let go of Riley and pushed him towards the door. He then picked up the knife Riley had dropped and lifted it up.

"I'll be keeping this, if you don't mind."

Riley simply straightened his jacket, gave both men a death glare and walked out.

* * *

Angel and Gunn made their way into the Hyperion and were greeted by everyone bar Fred who was getting Amelia ready for bed. The second Spike saw Angel's face he knew that something had happened and that it can't have been good.

"Hey guys, is everything alright?"

"Angel had an unexpected and unwanted visitor at the office this evening."

"And who was this unwelcomed visitor?" Wesley asked, his interest now peaked.

Angel locked his eyes with Buffy's, wanting to see her reaction. "It was Finn."

Buffy's eyes went wide and her mouth opened in shock. Everyone else's reaction was pretty much the same. It was Xander who spoke.

"What did that bastard want?"

"He said that he knew I was hiding you from him and that if I handed you over to him then he would leave my pack in peace. After a very short fight, during which Gunn had to pull me off of Finn, I told him that if he came near my territory again then he would regret it." He took out the knife he had taken from Riley and held it up. "I also get this off of him when he tried to stab me."

That last statement pulled Buffy from her daze and she stepped towards Angel. "Stab you? Are you alright?"

"Relax, I'm fine. He didn't have much of a chance to aim the knife right while I was jumping on him and pinning him to the ground."

"Man I wish I could have seen that." Xander chuckled.

Willow stepped forward. "Xander we need to be serious, this is a big problem. Riley now knows that you guys are helping us which means we are all in danger. Enough with the waiting around, we need to take action against the Initiative now!"

"Yeah but Willow what are we supposed to do?" Buffy sighed. "We can't just run into wherever they're hiding and rip all their throats out. That would just be proving Riley's assumption that we're all just monsters right."

Faith spoke up. "Well we can't just sit around twiddling our thumbs waiting for those bastards to come up with a plan to put us all down!"

"Yeah! I don't usually say this but Faith is right. We're sitting ducks right now, we need to do something." Cordelia butted in.

"But Buffy is also right." Giles reasoned. "We are not savages."

"We just need evidence tying them to the murders of Pike and Jesse." Wesley said, stroking his chin.

Angel rubbed his forehead. "Wesley if there was any chance that we had any evidence linking them to the murders then they would all be behind bars and we wouldn't be having this argument."

"Well maybe we just need to go to Sunnydale. We could interview some people, dig up dirt, and see if we can find anything linking them."

Buffy shook her head. "No way Wes. We can't just assume that because Finn and Walsh are here that Sunnydale is safe. For all we know they could have left behind some commandos to watch over the town in case me, Xander and Willow went back. And Sunnydale is a lot smaller than LA; your arrival would not be unnoticed."

Xander nodded his head. "Yeah, when Buffy moved to Sunnydale the entire school knew about her before the bell had even rung. News travels fast in that town."

Angel placed a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Buffy it might be our best bet right now. Riley probably already knows where you guys are and he'll stop at nothing to get you."

"Fine." Buffy said sighing. "But you have to promise that you'll be extra careful and that you'll check in with us on a regular basis so we know you're alright."

"Promise." Angel smiled at her then turned to the others. "Okay me, Gunn and Wesley will go while the rest of you stay here and hold down the fort. It would probably be best for you all to stay in the hotel for the day, just to be safe. We'll leave early tomorrow."

Once Fred had come downstairs and everyone was up to date with the plan they all went off to do their own separate things. Buffy and Angel went into the garden so they could talk in private.

"Buffy I know you're not happy about this so thanks for not objecting too much. I think Wes is right, this trip could give us what we need."

"The police didn't find anything that lead to Jesse's killer, what makes you think you will?"

"Come on Buffy, police aren't always very good at their job, especially small town police. They probably completely skipped over loads of relevant information. Gunn, Wes and I will explore every possible lead until we find something. Besides we know more than the police did."

Buffy closed some of the distance between them, put her hands on Angel's chest and started toying with one of the buttons on his shirt. She looked up, straight into his eyes.

"Just please be careful. If something was to happen to one of you then I would feel even worse than I already do about involving your pack in this whole mess. Watch out for anyone suspicious and be careful about who you're asking questions. Willow, Xander and I can give you some hints about where the best places to go might be. After all Xander already did his own investigation into Jesse's death so he can give you some helpful insight."

Angel wrapped his arms round Buffy's waist and pulled her to him, closing the distance that was left between them.

"We'll be fine Buffy. Maybe after this trip we could finally have what we need to make the Initiative pay for what they've done. You, Xander and Willow could finally rest easy. No more looking over your shoulder all the time."

"Well that would be nice."

Buffy smiled up at him and he smiled back. He then bent his head down and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.

* * *

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Rating: M

Author's Note: Remember reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! If you have any questions feel free to ask! And a big thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :) Also check out my profile for when my next chapter will be posted.

I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to post a chapter, the past couple months have been crazy for me! I was sick most of December then Christmas was jammed pack with stuff to do then I had exams and so on! So even though this is a pretty short chapter I just wanted to post it to show that I've not died or given up on this story. Anyway I hope things will go back to normal now and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12

Angel walked down the empty alleyway, searching for the man who he had followed here but there was no sign of him. It was dark but his wolf vision allowed him to see well despite this. He strained to listen for any sounds but the night was quiet. Angel was sure this man was a part of the Initiative and he was very eager to question him. Suddenly he caught a blur of motion in the corner of his eye and swung around. Something hard hit him on the head and he fell down. He looked up to see not the man he had followed into the alley but Riley Finn standing above him holding a gun to his head. The blow to the head had stunned Angel and he found that he was unable to react.

"Say goodnight dog." Riley said sinisterly then pulled the trigger.

Buffy woke up panting and sweating. She took deep breaths to calm herself down and told herself that it was all a dream. She looked to the clock and saw that it was nearly half past eight. She knew Angel would be up as him, Gunn and Wesley were to leave at nine. She climbed out of bed then went to the bathroom to freshen up before going to see Angel.

* * *

Angel was just getting dressed when there was a knock on his bedroom door. He went to answer it, forgetting that he wasn't wearing a shirt. He opened the door to find Buffy standing there. She couldn't stop her eyes from examining Angel's well sculpted chest. She peeled her eyes from his chest to look at his face.

"Morning." She said causally.

"Morning. I didn't expect to see you up." He moved out the way so she could go into his room.

"Yeah well I thought it would be mean of me to not say goodbye before you left." She said walking into his room.

Angel gave her a look that showed he wasn't convinced with her story. "Really? So you're not here to once again warn me of the dangers of Sunnydale and tell me to be careful?"

"Of course not." She said innocently.

Angel laughed at her innocent look then threw his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him. "Buffy you're not a very good liar."

"Well maybe you're just good at reading me." She sighed. "Angel I just worry, okay. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt."

"I won't get hurt I promise." He said, trying to ease some of her worry but he could tell from the look in her face that something else was bothering her. "Is there something else you want to tell me?"

She chewed gently on her lower lip. "Yeah, there is."

"Well go ahead. You can tell me anything Buffy."

She tried to look into his eyes but his naked chest was too much of a distraction. "Could you put a shirt on first?"

Angel looked down at his chest and then back to her. "Sure." He said giving her his sexy half smile he knew she loved.

As Angel went to get a shirt, Buffy sat down on the couch and started fidgeting with her fingers. She wondered whether or not she should tell Angel everything. Part of her told her that he would probably just think that she was overreacting but another part remained her that Angel said that she could tell him anything. Angel sat down beside her now with a shirt on. Although she preferred him without one she knew it would just distract her.

"So what did you want to tell me Buffy?"

"Well… I had a dream that you were in Sunnydale and you were following someone that you thought might have some information about the Initiative but you lost them in an alley then someone hit you on the head and you fell down and Riley was above you with a gun and he shot you right in the head." She let it all spill out then took a deep breath and looked to Angel. It looked like he was trying to come up with a good response. "I know it means nothing but it still freaked me out."

Angel put his arm around her and she nuzzled into his shoulder. "It was all just a dream Buffy. Nothing to be worried about."

"I know Angel but it felt so real."

"Well it's not going to happen, okay? Gunn and Wesley will have my back the whole time so no one will be able to pull one on me, especially not that bastard Finn."

Buffy closed her eyes and snuggled further into him. She felt so safe and secure with his arms wrapped around her; she just wanted to stay there forever. Angel kissed her head then rested his chin on it. He wanted to stay like this but he knew he couldn't. He had to go to Sunnydale.

After a minute or so Angel decided that they needed to move before they lost the will to. He took his arms away from her and moved off the couch. Buffy whined then pouted at Angel's actions. When he saw her face he just smiled then kissed her.

"Do you have any idea how sexy you look when you pout?"

She pouted even more and gave Angel her best puppy dog eyes. He took her face in his hands and pressed his lips gently against hers. After a moment he pulled back ever so slightly and looked straight into her hazel green eyes.

"I'll be back soon, safe and sound. I promise."

Buffy simply nodded her head. She pulled away from him and forced a smile at him. "I should let you finish getting ready. Call me when you're about to go okay?"

"Of course."

Angel watched Buffy walk out the room. He knew that she was just worried about him but he could take care of himself. Besides he wasn't going to be alone, Gunn and Wesley would be with him and they're all in the same pack and in a pack you look out for each other. He ran his fingers through his hair and went back preparing for his trip.

Buffy closed Angel's bedroom door then leaned against it and rubbed her forehead. Angel was strong as were Gunn and Wesley. They would stick together and help each other, wouldn't they? But the answer is would that be enough to protect them against the dangers that may lie ahead in Sunnydale? She knew she was being silly, thinking those thoughts, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

* * *

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Author's Note: Remember reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! A big thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :) Also check out my profile for when my next chapter will be posted.

* * *

Chapter 13

The black Plymouth zoomed down the long road carrying the three men to Sunnydale. Angel was in control of the car while Wesley trying to read a map beside him and Gunn was fast asleep in the back. They were not very far from reaching their destination, another fifteen minutes or so and they would be there. Angel felt strangely excited. He was very interested in seeing what Sunnydale was like. Buffy made it seem like some sort of war zone but he knew that was very unlikely. 'Normal' people have no idea what goes on at night right under their very noses. He was pulled from his thoughts by a loud snore from Gunn. He glanced back over his shoulder and gave a small chuckle at the sight of Gunn lying in the back seat with his mouth wide open. Wesley noticed this and took a break from looking at the map to look at Gunn.

"Looks like someone didn't get enough beauty sleep last night." Wesley laughed.

Angel grinned widely. "Have you got a camera on you? That right there is a photo perfect shot."

"Unfortunately I don't." Wesley turned to look at Angel. "Speaking of beauty, did you get a chance to see Buffy before we left?"

"Yeah. She came into my room while I was getting ready. Said she had had a dream where Riley was waiting in Sunnydale for us and killed me. It had her pretty shaken up but I assured her she had nothing to worry about."

"Hmm. I'm not surprised. Buffy seems certain that there is something bad in Sunnydale but it's probably just left over paranoia from all she and her pack went through there."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it." Angel replied although he wasn't very sure. Ever since they'd left LA he had had this sense of dread rising inside of him. Maybe Buffy had got to him or maybe it was his werewolf sense. Or perhaps it was the uncomfortable feeling that someone had been following them from LA. Maybe he was the paranoid one.

The rest of the car journey was made in silence bar the occasional snore or snort from Gunn. However it wasn't long before they reached a sign that read "Welcome to Sunnydale. Enjoy your stay." Angel scoffed under his breath at that last bit. Somehow he doubted their stay would be all that enjoyable. Honestly he just wanted to get some useful information as quick as possible and get back to LA, back to Buffy.

He drove the car in to the small town. It was quiet, quaint and pretty much what he was expecting. Small and friendly. A place where everyone knew everyone. Very much the opposite of LA. After a few minutes of driving and quickly stopping to ask for directions they found the town centre. Once parked they all got out and went to find somewhere they could get a drink and discuss their plan.

* * *

Back in LA Buffy was busy keeping herself occupied so she wouldn't think about her dream or any of the other deadly scenarios she had come up with. With Wesley gone and Fred busy at work she had agreed to watch Amelia for the day. She didn't mind, in fact she enjoyed it. Amelia reminded her of herself when she was little. Amelia was the only cub in the pack and Buffy knew how lonely that could be. Always surrounded by adults, no other kids to play with. It had been the same with her in her father's pack. That was why she was so glad when she found Willow, Xander, Pike and Jesse. She finally had friends she could relate to.

Amelia interrupted Buffy's thoughts by shoving a drawing her face. She took the picture from the four year old and examined it.

Amelia pointed to the people. "This is the pack. I drew everyone including you, Willow and Xander just in case you decide to stay."

"Wow Amelia this is really good. You're quite the little artist."

"Thanks. Angel taught me. He's the best." Amelia grinned at Buffy then starting nervously playing with one of her pigtails. "Buffy." She said shyly. "Will you stay with our pack?"

Buffy looked at Amelia's cute little face, not sure what to tell her. "To be honest with you Amelia I really don't know. It's… complicated."

"But don't you like it here? Don't you like the pack? Don't you like…" She paused, unsure if she should say what she was going to. "Don't you like Angel?"

"What do you mean by that? Amelia have you seen or heard something to do with me and Angel?"

Amelia looked guiltily down at her feet for a moment before raising her head to meet Buffy's eyes. "I heard mummy and Cordy talking about you and Angel."

"What did they say?" Amelia looked away again. "It's okay Amelia, you're not in trouble. Just tell me what you heard."

"They said you and Angel were getting really close and friendly. That's all I heard I swear!"

"It's okay Amelia, I'm not mad."

"Good. Were they right though? Are you and Angel getting close?"

"That's grown up stuff Amelia. Nothing for you to worry about. Why don't you go back to your drawings. I need to go talk to someone."

Buffy got up and walked through to the entertainment room. She wanted to 'talk to' Cordelia but she wasn't in so Willow would have to do. Right enough she found Willow curled up in the reading corner beside Oz. She walked over to them and stood above them.

"Willow can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure Buffy." She turned to Oz. "I'll be right back."

Once they were alone Buffy said "Have you and Cordelia been talking about me and Angel with other members of the pack?"

"What? No, of course not Buffy."

"Well then why did Amelia overhear a conversation between Fred and Cordelia about me and Angel?"

"I swear Buffy I haven't told anyone anything."

"Okay Wills, I believe you."

"Good. Now why don't you want anyone to know that you and Angel have been having secret make out sessions? What's the harm in people knowing?"

"Because Will, I don't know what's between me and Angel. I know that I care about him and have feelings for him but right now that doesn't really mean much! I mean the Initiative could strike any minute and kill us all! And even if the guys manage to find some useful information in Sunnydale and we stop the Initiative what then? Do we stay in LA; do we become part of their pack? Or do we go back to Sunnydale? That's something that me, you and Xander need to discuss if we manage to take the Initiative down. As for now when it comes to Angel I'm playing it close to my chest."

"You need to have more faith Buffy. I believe we'll stop the Initiative, we'll stop this whole stupid fight and then you and Angel could have a shot at a proper relationship."

"I like your optimism Will but I just can't think that way."

"It's okay Buffy, I understand."

The girls smiled at each other then returned to their previous posts, Willow reading with Oz and Buffy watching Amelia. She felt comfortable with the little girl. It was like Amelia's innocence rubbed off on Buffy and for a brief moment she could just forget what they were dealing with. Just like when she was with Angel. She hoped more than anything that they would come back safe and sound.

* * *

"So you're telling me that O'Rourke and two of his suspected pack members have left LA?"

"Yes Sir. We saw them leave a couple of hours ago so we put a tail on them. Apparently they have just arrived in Sunnydale."

"Sunnydale? What the hell are they doing there?"

"We don't know Sir."

"Well find out you idiots! I want to know what they expect to find there."

"Yes Sir. What do you want us to do if they become a threat?"

"Kill the other two but keep Angelus alive. I think that he could be an interesting asset."

"Yes Sir."

The uniform clad commando left Riley's office leaving Riley to his own thoughts. He stood up and starting slowly pacing around the room.

He started mumbling to himself. "So Buffy's white knight is no longer in the castle protecting her." He laughed sinisterly, the sound echoing around the room. "Now might be the perfect time to strike."

* * *

TBC

PS: I promise the next chapter will have more of the guys in Sunnydale. I just wasn't really sure what to write about it but there while be Sunnydale action next chapter!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel they belong to Joss Whedon.

Author's Note: Remember reviews keep me writing so don't forget to review! A big thank you to the people who have been reviewing, I very much appreciate it! :) Also check out my profile for when my next chapter will be posted.

* * *

Chapter 14

The three men were sat around a small table in a busy coffee shop in the small town. To any people passing by they were just some tourists stopping by. What they didn't know was that these men were on a mission. They were discussing their plan for investigating the town and seeing if they could find some incriminating evidence against the Initiative and its members, especially Riley. Although Angel was confident they would find something and get out of Sunnydale quickly without any setbacks he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. However he decided to ignore, for now.

"So Angel," Gunn started "What's the plan? Where are we going first?"

"Well I thought it would be helpful if you two went around the town and asked the locals some questions. You know see if anyone knows anything that could be helpful. As for me I'm going to go to the police station and see if I can get my hands on the case files on Pike and Jesse's deaths."

"You really think that they're just going to hand them over to you?" Wesley asked doubtfully.

Angel pulled out his Wolfram and Hart ID. "I'm sure that they would be happy to cooperate with a case being run by the CEO of Wolfram and Hart." He answered confidently.

Wesley smirked. "You know ever since your father made you CEO you've become really cocky."

"Really? I thought I'd always been cocky."

"I'm sure that Buffy would be happy to know that. Or does she already know?" Gunn raised his eyebrow.

"Now Gunn, you know I'm not one to kiss and tell."

"Well that's complete and utter bullshit."

"Enough about Angel's sex life. Shall we begin our investigation?"

"Yes let's. Keep your cells on at all times. If you find anything out then call and we'll arrange a place to meet up. Also be careful. There is always a chance that the Initiative left some people behind so be on the lookout and don't arouse suspicion."

"You got it boss."

The men left the coffee shop and went their separate ways completely unaware of the men watching them.

* * *

After some walking and stopping to ask for directions, Angel found himself outside of the police station. It was, not surprisingly, much smaller than the LA police station. He pushed open the door and went inside. When you enter the police station in LA you are met with a bustle of activity; police officers running everywhere with files or people in cuffs. Here in Sunnydale you're met with a couple of officers sitting around drinking coffee and shoving donuts in their mouths. Not really a crack team of investigators. No wonder they never found out who killed Pike and Jesse Angel thought. He straightened himself up to his full height and put on his professional face in order to look more intimidating then walked up to the main desk.

"Hi!" A slightly overweight officer greeted Angel. "What can I do you for?"

"I'm looking for information on a couple of unsolved cases."

"Really? Well why should I give you anything about our cases? Are you a police officer?"

He pulled out his Wolfram and Hart ID and showed it to the officer. "I'm Angelus O'Rourke, the new CEO of the most prestigious law firm in the world, Wolfram and Hart. You may have heard of it."

"What does the famous Wolfram and Hart want with a couple of our cases." The officer replied mockingly.

"I believe that they are related to a case I'm working on."

"So you really just expect me to hand them over to you just because you're rich and own a law firm?"

"No I expect you to hand them over to me because I'm rich and own a law firm that has friends in very high places in law enforcement. So how much do you value your job?" Angel smiled smugly.

The officer sighed, knowing that he was defeated. "Fine! What cases do you want to know about?"

"The investigations into the murders of Jesse McNally and Oliver Pike." He smiled to himself, glad that he remembered their full names.

"I'll be right back." The officer left his desk and went into what Angel assumed to be a file room. He returned a moment later with two fairly thin files in his hands. He handed them to Angel. "Here you go. It won't take you too long to read, there ain't a lot in there."

Angel quickly flicked through the files. "Why not?"

"Cause we just couldn't find anything. Look we did our best. Our police force is small and underfunded not like your big police department in your big fancy city. We do the best with what we've got and what we've got ain't much. Also I knew the kids. They were good boys, never been in trouble and no known enemies. Once we ruled out their friends we were short on suspects. Good luck."

The officer sat down and took a sip of his coffee now ignoring Angel. Angel uttered a thank you and took his leave. As he walked he looked through the files. He came across the section of possible suspects and saw information on Buffy, Willow and Xander. He stared at the file photo of Buffy and smiled. It was a few years old but she still looked beautiful. Suddenly his sensitive wolf hearing picked up the sound of someone quietly following him. He looked forward and spotted an entrance to an alley. Once he reached it he ducked in and slid the files under his coat and got ready to fight.

Angel swung his fist round and it connected with a man's jaw. The man was stunned by the punch and reeled back. Angel sized the man up. He was tall and well-built but looked to be a fairly clumsy guy. Besides, Angel had the upper hand. Before the man, who Angel assumed to be a commando, could react Angel punched him hard in the face again, this time breaking his nose. Angel kicked him straight in the stomach and after he bent over Angel swung his fist up to hit him in the face once more and knock him to the ground. Once he was down Angel placed his foot hard on his chest so he couldn't get up and took his gun from its holster and threw it against a wall so it broke.

Angel smirked and relaxed his hands. The commando was no match for him. After all there was a reason that Angel was the pack leader. He increased pressure on the commando's chest and started his interrogation.

"Are you from the Initiative?"

The man said nothing but instead spat blood at Angel.

"Okay let's try this again." He pressed his foot even harder on the man's chest. "Are you from the Initiative?!"

The commando cried out in pain then looked Angel start in the eyes and said "You already know that I am and that I'm not going to tell you anything so you may as well kill me."

Angel grinned and kneeled down. "I'm not going to kill you and you want to know why? I'm not like you, I'm better than you and I would never kill someone just because I had the chance. So you know what I'm gonna do instead?" He grabbed the man and pushed him roughly against a wall. "I want you to deliver a message to Riley Finn. I want you to tell him that he's not going to win. Tell him I'm going to stop him before he can even get started and that he is never going to lay a hand on Buffy or her friends again. Got that?"

The man nodded his head so Angel released him and let him fall flat on his ass. He then left the alley and pulled out his cell phone and dialled Wesley's number. It rang a couple of times before Wesley answered.

"You found something Angel?"

"Maybe. I have the case files for Jesse and Pike's murders. I think we should check out where the bodies were found and see if we can try and find the Initiatives headquarters. Can I meet you and Wesley near the UC Sunnydale campus?"

"Sure but why there?"

"Their bodies were found near the campus and Buffy said that the problems with the Initiative didn't start up until they started attending the college. Also Buffy said that they thought that the Initiative headquarters was located under the college."

"Got it, I'll call Gunn and we'll meet you there as soon as."

"Great. I'll see you two soon. Also watch your backs, really. I just had a run in with a commando but luckily I had the upper hand. Careful, they're armed and know who we are."

"Got it. So you're okay right? You kicked that guy's ass?"

"Of course I did Wes. Are you losing faith in me?" Angel joked.

"Course not boss, just checking. See you soon."

Angel closed his phone and began walking towards the campus. He was glad that the town was small so it was easy to just walk everywhere. He'd never been somewhere like this before, he was so used to the big city. But in a town like this everyone knows you so how was it possible that Jesse and Pikes deaths were so easy pushed to the side? Pike was only killed a couple months ago yet they're not even bothering to look for his killer anymore. It didn't matter though. Angel knew who killed them and he will not let them get away with it.

He opened up the file on Jesse's death once more. Jesse was killed with a single gunshot wound to the chest but there were signs of self-defence so at least he went down fighting. Once again he flicked to page on Buffy. He thought he should call her and tell her what's happened so far but he didn't want her to know about the attack and end up worrying even more. Eventually he caved in and phoned her.

"Hello."

"Hey Buffy."

"Angel, hey! How's it going in Sunnydale?"

"Well I have the files on Pike and Jesse's murders. I'm hoping it will give us some insight. Right now I'm on the way to the place where their bodies were found."

There was a pause on the other end. "They found Pike's body?"

Angel mentally kicked himself for forgetting that Pike was killed in the Initiative HQ right in front of her. "Yeah, it was not too far from where Jesse was found. They must have dumped the body."

Again there was silence then a sigh. "Yeah they're not really known for being too tidy with their clean ups. Is that everything?"

"Yeah. I'll call if I find out anything else."

"Okay. Don't stay there too long now."

He smiled. "I promise I'll be back as soon as possible."

They said their goodbyes and Angel continued to the campus. He thought that her not knowing about the confrontation with the commando would be best. She was already worried enough he didn't want her to worry anymore. He couldn't wait to finally bring the Initiative down but he couldn't silence the voice in his head that told him if the Initiative were gone then maybe Buffy would be too. After all Sunnydale was a lovely little town. Once all this is over she might want to come back.

He pushed those thoughts to the side for now; he needed to concentrate on the task at hand. Still were his feelings for Buffy getting stronger? Would he be able to cope if she decided to leave LA? Only time would tell.

* * *

TBC


End file.
